I shipped my spit to AncestryDNA to see how much I could learn from my genes — and found out my family history is more complex than I thought

Lydia Ramsey/Business Insider

I have to admit: I've become a genetics geek. Ever since I sent my first saliva sample to be analyzed by consumer-genetics company 23andMe, I've become obsessed with what I can find out from a sample of my DNA.

After trying out 23andMe's $199 test, I wanted to see how one of its competitors' tests stacked up.

For $99, AncestryDNA will sequence your genes to help trace your geographic roots. It doesn't provide health and wellness information, though Ancestry recently teamed up with Alphabet's biotechnology company Calico to launch a program aimed at tracking family-health history called AncestryHealth.

Here's what it was like to use AncestryDNA:

Shortly after I ordered it online, my AncestryDNA kit arrived in the mail in a small box the size of a hardcover book.

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Opening it up, I found a collection tube (and a bag to seal it in once I was done), a set of instructions, and a smaller box to send it all back in.

Lydia Ramsey/Business Insider

No stranger to collection tubes, I wasn't quite looking forward to spitting up to the top of the line on this tube. As I learned previously, generating enough spit for the collection process (which helps ensure the company has enough DNA to run it a second time in case of errors) can be hard work.

Lydia Ramsey/Business Insider

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