And just like that we are at the end of another year! Oh my, time has flown! Wow, already the end of 2023? Another year, just like that!… and all the other phrases we can think of in regards to the passing of time.
For me, it has been an “odd” two years – I have been living out of the United States these last two years, having lived in France last year and this year I am currently living in Spain teaching English abroad. So when I created my genealogical goals for 2023, I did not fully know where I was going to be living and what I was going to be doing so let’s see how this has effected my ability to complete some of them.
Like every year, I want to reflect on my genealogical goals for the year and get started on creating new goals for 2024! I will answer each goal with “yes”, “some” (didn’t quite fully reach where I wanted to be) or “no” and explaining where I am with each resolution.
If you want to read about my previous genealogical goals in 2022 – CLICK HERE!
Genealogical Resolutions of 2023
1. Begin working on my BCG Portfolio
YES
I am happy to say that I have begun working on my BCG Portfolio. Thanks to the CDG course I took earlier this fall I was able to feel more confident about beginning the process to apply to become a CG (Certified Genealogist). Therefore, I have identified various families I would like to work with for the Case Study, Research Report, and Kinship Determination Project.
As of right now, I have outlined one of the elements and I hope to beginning outlining a second element this week as well.
2. Dive deeper into research in Guadeloupe
SOME
SOME
I have worked a bit on this but I would not say “yes” completely since I have not gotten to fully explore life in Guadeloupe to better understand the lives of my ancestors. However, I did post about learning more about Chaleau Jean Charles through notary records, spent a day in Paris honoring the lives of my previously enslaved ancestors, and though not specifically tied to the island of Guadeloupe itself, I read four comics based in Martinique which gave me a better look into life in the French Caribbean during the 19th century. These comics were:
1. Pacotille – Tome 2, Île de la liberté
2. Les Maîtres des Îles – Tome 01: Aux vents des Antilles: Martinique 1846
3. Les Maîtres des Îles – Tome 02: Martinique 1847
4. Les Maîtres des Îles – Tome 03: Saint-Pierre, Martinique, 1848
I luckily read these comics when I had returned home to New York City this summer from France and now that I have been abroad since September, I have not gotten a chance to read the books I have at home that deal with Guadeloupe. When I return, I will make sure to dig into them!
3. Visit and Research in Mallorca
YES
I have been fortunate to visit the island of Mallorca twice this year: the first time in February and the second time this December. In February, I was able to do research for two weeks thanks to my French vacations which allowed me to then create three posts tied to that research:
1. Research in Mallorca (Part I): A Visit to the Arxiu Diocesà
2. Research in Mallorca (Part II): A Visit to the Arxiu del Regne
3. Research in Mallorca (Part III): Another Visit to Sóller
After this trip in February, I was left wanting to explore more and thus recently during a long weekend here in Spain I flew over to Mallorca for a week. Unfortunately, I was only able to research two Mondays out of the possible four ‘available days’, given that they were closed two other days (Constitution Day and the Immaculate Conception). However, I was still able to advance a bit more in my research and hopefully I will post about it sometime this year.
It is always a pleasure going to Mallorca and on the days I do not research I spent my time traveling the island. This time I was able to visit: Deià, Valldemossa, Artà, Santanyí, and Banyalbufar. All by public bus!
4. Document the Correa in Salinas/Surrounding Areas
NO
This one I just have not gotten around to. Possibly I am daunted by the task of documenting the Correa family, though I know there are not a ton around, it still will require meticulous work. So much has been going on this year that I have not found a “dull” moment to begin cataloguing the Correa from Salinas. Since I am stuck currently with my research on this line, this should definitely help me better understand the family dynamics but at the same time, since I am stuck, I have moved my research energy into other lines for the time being. Almost feels like a Catch-22 here!
5. Spend time researching Yauco church records
SOME
I have visited the Yauco records again on FamilySearch over the summer but I was not able to complete what I wanted. Some of my Yauco lines seem to originate from San Germán, a town with currently no church records online, and so I find myself stuck here as well. Not all of the Yauco records are indexed and so it would take me searching one by one and revisiting some of the books I have already searched in order to make sure I have fully researched as much as possible in Yauco. I am especially interested in the surname “Espíritu Santo” in my family present in Yauco which seems to originate via an African women.
6. Learn more about Eglantine's Social Life
NO
This is something I definitely still want to do but I just did not get a chance to do this year; especially attempting to use the FAN (Family/Friends, Associates, Neighbors) to try and better understand who Eglantine would have been surrounded with. The comics I read for the second goal you can argue were a bit tied to understanding Eglantine’s life, but I wanted to approach this goal from a genealogical research perspective and thus can not say I completed this goal to any degree.
7. Visit the Archives in Aix-en-Provence
YES
Last January while still in France I took a day trip down to Aix-en-Provence to visit the actual Archives Nationales d’Outre-Mer (ANOM). There, I was able to find some records tied to the slave owners of my ancestors but nothing tangible to my own ancestors. However, once I did the research I never sat down to fully review what I found in my day there. Therefore, I want to take some time next year to analyze the documents discovered and write a post about them in hopes of finding some small detail that might be important to discovering more about my ancestors in the French Caribbean.
8. Add another member to the "Correa"/"Avilés" Y-DNA
NO
This goal was not accomplished because A) I was out of the US and I personally would want to deal with this and making sure the DNA exams arrive to where they need to get to and B) $$ – money!
It can be fairly expensive testing male descendants for their Y-DNA and so since I have been earning less abroad I can not see myself spending money leisurely on DNA testing right now. Once I return to the US and I have a steady job with some money to throw at genealogy again – I hope to add another male descendant to both of these lines! Especially to the Correa linea which seems to be the most elusive!
9. Continue to update/upgrade my website
SOME
I have not made too many changes to my website but I have added a few extra details here and there. For example, adding a section about what the term “Boricua” means and just overall continuing to write for my blog has been updating my website. I am happy to say that this entire year I have blogged consistently twice a week/two times a month. Though it was not a goal of mine, I am happy nonetheless to have completed this feat! One last thing I want to add is a section with a past presentation I gave about Puerto Rican genealogy. Hopefully I can do this before the year is over!
10. Begin thinking of Genealogy as a business
YES
For sure I have begun to take genealogy a bit more serious and think of it as a business! Though I have not taken any official paying clients yet, I have worked a pro-bono case for a Puerto Rican exploring their roots with a potential second (and maybe third!) pro-bono case earlier next year.
Similarly, exploring the idea of becoming a Certified Genealogist as well has helped me see both my projects and my time spent doing genealogy not just as a hobby but as a skill I have developed and honed over the last 19 years as a hobby genealogist and over the last 3-4 years as a professional genealogist.
Once I return to New York City, I will definitely continue exploring more options of working with genealogy, exploring things such as an LLC, and how to hit the ground running as a professional (paid) genealogist.
Total Goal completion
YES: 4
SOME: 3
NO: 3
So ultimately, in total, I completed 4 goals completely, 3 goals partially, and 3 goals not at all. Maybe this can be a goal for next year, increasing my percentages of goals completed by the end of the year!
Nonetheless, I am happy to keep up with this tradition! Happy New Year to all!
Hello
Very impressive! Congratulations on meetings goals. Wishing you all the best on your business project. I too have been thinking of becoming certified…