The Sunday Best is a collection of a handful of posts I share with you each week. With so many informative and inspirational writers out there, I have no trouble coming up with a number of worthwhile reads each week.
Every featured post should be of interest to any physician seeking financial independence. Some will be written by your physician colleagues; others will be written by our friends and patients who share common goals and interests.
Presenting, this week’s Sunday Best:
I was honored this week to have a guest post published @ Financial Samurai this week. I vigorously sliced through numerous arguments with my counterpoints in Rejecting Every Reason Not to Retire Early.
Struggling to get ahead? Learn from another physician taking advantage of Geographic Arbitrage. Live Free MD & The Alaska Factor.
Does it ever feel like you spend most of your time doing what you need to do rather than what you want to do? Oh, it’s just me?!? Dr. Mo @ Urgent Care Career invites you to consider What Do You Want Your Ideal Day to Look Like?
In an oldie but goodie, The Onion urges you to Find The Thing You’re Most Passionate About, Then Do It On Nights And Weekends For The Rest Of Your Life
How does one introduce a brilliant post called Alligators & Kittens? I think you just let the title speak for itself. The Happy Philosopher delivers a magnificent metaphor.
Exploring a potential downside of early retirement, Our Next Life ponders When We’re No Longer “Important” // Ego, Invisibility and Early Retirement.
An educator asks a question that I often contemplate. Vicki @ Make Smarter Decisions wants to know, Would You Work an Extra 200 Days for $200,000?
Family Tree DNA & Spice Trading
My wife and I decided it would be fun to learn a little more about our ancestry. After $59 each, a swabbing of the inner cheek, and about a month’s time, I learned that my parents are who we thought they were. Scandinavians.
No big surprise there. Apparently my DNA is 52% Scandinavian and according to Family Tree DNA, I’m related by blood to people with awesome surnames like Åkesdotter, Bjørnsdatter, Ellström, and Axelsson.
The results were not entirely without surprise, however. I guess I’m 8% middle eastern, represented by the green glow over Turkey. Who knew? I certainly didn’t. Perhaps my ancestors did a little “spice trading” in that part of the world, if you know what I mean (and I think you do).
The results just came in, and I haven’t had a lot of time to play with the data, but there are a number of tools available to explore common ancestors and build your family tree. If only I had more time. Soon enough, I imagine I will.
Have you submitted your saliva to a similar service? What did you learn?
Have a great week!
-Physician on FIRE
Excellent web site you have here.. It’s difficult to find quality writing
like yours these days. I really appreciate people like
you! Take care!!
I loved as much as you will receive carried
out right here. The sketch is attractive, your authored material
stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an nervousness over that
you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come
more formerly again since exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you
shield this increase.
Hm, I’ve been thinking about doing something similar to Ancestry.com. I haven’t gotten around to it, but maybe someday.
Were you able to find any close and distant relatives?
Yes, SP, I was!
There are about 30 or so “2nd to 4th cousins” and hundreds more distant.
Best,
-PoF
Turkish “spice trading” huh. That’s pretty interesting. Would not have guessed that about you!
Go figure!
OMG, my mom always told us about our great grandmothers rescue from the trail of tears, and her marriage to our great grandpa, and how we’re part Cherokee and on and on. Well her dad could trace his lineage back to Galway county, Ireland and could link some German roots there too, but that trail grew cold quickly.
However, when she did the DNA sample, no Cherokee, no nothing but typical American mutt. Irish, German, English, yep, that’s me, lol. Nothing exotic at all. I burn easily, have a red beard, and brown hair everywhere else, lol. High cheekbones aren’t from the Cherokee side of the family, bwahahaha.
The truth hurts, Mr. SSC. Almost as bad as this video.
Cheers!
-PoF
Love that Onion article!
We had my parents do the Ancestry.com test last year. No real surprises, but fun to see some of the connections.
I did the DNA testing last year. I was a little scared about what I might learn (i.e. I’m predisposed to a certain disease or something like that). My doc recommended it to get a better handle on digestive issues. We learned several things that have helped with treatment, and on top of that it’s just interesting to review your building blocks.
Great diverse stuff this week PoF. Really enjoyed the ONL article that I somehow missed! Nice guest post too 🙂
Thanks, Doc! I think this is the first time I’ve posted an article from the Onion, but I’ve been a fan for 20+ years, going back to the days when it was in print only. The article came across my feed and was too good to pass up.
Cheers!
-PoF
I do think those ancestry services are cool. 🙂 I haven’t personally done one because they often have clauses that they can store your DNA “indefinitely,” which freaks me out a bit.
My sister got hers done, however, and it was a little funny. We’re mostly Scandinavian/Irish/Iberian, with a little bit of Asian thrown in there. The Asian bit wasn’t a surprise since our family history was recorded and I found our ancestor in the 1800s married a woman from China. 🙂 However! I was definitely surprised because my family swore up and down that we have Native American heritage. The test didn’t show an ounce of Native blood, so that was funny. Oh well!
Very interesting. Would you or anyone else guess you were any percentage Chinese based on looks?
Best,
-PoF
Not in the least. 🙂 My sis and I definitely take more after the Irish side. But it’s interesting to know! I did wish our heritage was more diverse, but that’s how it goes.
Physicians and pharmacists, Register with Incrowd for the opportunity to earn easy money with quick "microsurveys" tailored to your specialty.
Spicy PoF!
Thanks for the roundup, doc. This is a busy time for me at work and these roundups are a great resource.
PoF, my wife just submitted her sample back to ancestry.com yesterday. Their test is a little different as you submit a small vile of saliva vs. swabbing. We’re eager to see the results! I’ll think I will do mine soon too and see if there was any “spice trading” along the line. 😉
How cool! I think it took about a month, so I wouldn’t be waiting with bated breath, but it will be fun to see. I wonder if your wife will get a discount code to share when her results are in. The price was right when we did ours (my wife did hers, too).
Cheers!
-PoF
POF, I really enjoyed your post on Financial Samurai!
I haven’t submitted my saliva, though my guess would be a strong representation in Northern Europe (France, Germany, Poland). My great grandparents came over to the US from Poland. It would be very interesting to see the results!
Indeed, Erik. You might find a surprise in there, too!
Best,
-PoF
Thanks, PoF! Now I’m curious about my ancestry because I never met my real dad. I’d love to understand more about where my roots would be traced back to.
You would be a prime candidate, Grounded Engineer.
Great moniker for an electrical engineer, btw.
Cheers!
-PoF
Awesome roundup. My wife and I have thought about doing the DNA testing. Sounds like a fun way of seeing your heritage. Thanks for sharing!!!
The prices have really come down in recent years. I don’t think I would have spent a couple hundred dollars to satisfy a curiosity, but $59 is the price of a meal at a fancy restaurant, a price I’m willing to pay to explore my ancestry.
Cheers!
-PoF
I forgot about that Onion article! Beautiful. Thanks for that!
Thanks for the shout-out PoF! If that $200K was all under my control, I think it would be an easier decision. When it takes 30 years to actually earn it – it’s another story. Luckily, I still have a couple of weeks to sort it all out. Have a great week!
I hope it works out to your satisfactin, Vicki. Either way, I have a feeling you’ll be in great shape!
Best,
-PoF
I’ve never done one of these tests. Given I already know I’m significantly a mutt it would be interesting to get a test some day. Does it tell you anything else other then region?
There are numerous options and varying price points depending on what you want to know. We just went with the basic package, but now we have the option to learn more if we want to pony up some more $.
Cheers!
-PoF
It’s interesting to see some posts lately about the “downside” of early retirement. Having retired a couple years ago at 44, I can say for sure there were some extra challenges. Not even talking about money-related challenges – life, identity, activity, and similar challenges. Early retired people definitely need to figure things out and develop a good routine. Sitting and staring at walls (or TV) for 50+ years is not a good way to live out ones life. 🙂
That’s what I hear, Brad. Glad to have someone who has FIREd weigh in.
Mr. 1500 wrote a post called Death by Television. That will not be us.
Cheers!
-PoF
Thanks for the feature, PoF! I have never submitted a saliva test, but it would be interesting to do so. Sometimes, you wonder if there are other ethnicities in your ancestry other than the one you identify with.
You got it, WaSP!
I need to sit down with Mom & Dad and figure out where this Turkish blood comes from.
Cheers!
-PoF