‘Traveling for Heritage and Genealogy’ explored at Lynnwood meeting

Brooke Yool loves helping people enrich their lives through travel – and often discover family heritage in the process. The owner of Lynnwood-based I’m Outta Here Travel, Yool gave a presentation on “Traveling for Heritage and Genealogy: Finding Your Story Around the World,” at the Jan. 7 meeting of the Sno-Isle Genealogical Society at Lynnwood’s Heritage Park.

Her presentation explored how travel can deepen your connection to your heritage. This can mean walking the streets your ancestors once knew, visiting key archives abroad, and immersing yourself in cultural traditions that shaped your family’s story.

“Heritage travel is bringing family records to life,” Yool said. “Visiting places where your ancestors lived can be a real revelation, especially if a very different culture. This may mean traveling to smaller towns and getting off the beaten track. You experience far more of a destination than you would have otherwise.

“Travel can add context to the records you already have,” she added. “It can also help you clarify discrepancies in records and family lore. And heritage travel can be domestic as well as international – sometimes people want to explore family generations in another part of this country.”

A longtime traveler, Yool has been to all 50 states and 34 countries. Before starting her own company, I’m Outta Here Travel, LLC, one year ago, she worked for Fora Travel as an independent contractor. She continues her affiliation with Fora for the connections it provides with travel suppliers such as hotels and cruise lines.

Her personal specialties are Central Europe and Turkey because she has traveled there a lot – while her heritage is mostly Irish and Finnish. No matter the country, she focuses on helping clients have local experiences with cultural immersion during their travels.

Brooke describes I’m Outta Here Travel as a bespoke travel planning company: She customizes each trip to that client’s specific needs and goals. She can plan a complete trip door-to-door or as much as the client wants. She can guide clients to appropriate resources for their heritage and help them make local connections. The first 30 minutes of her travel planning is free, then fee-based depending on what is desired.

At her SIGS presentation, Brooke noted where to find free immigration records online and through public libraries. She also provided a list of online resources for genealogy research and genealogy-focused museums and travel companies. A PDF of the list is available on SIGS’s website at Heritage Travel Resources.

I’m Outta Here Travel and Brooke Yool can reached at brooke.yool@fora.travel, 206-659-9391 and @im.outta.here.travel on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.