Due to my work for 23andMe, I’ve now got my genetic information–and my husband’s–at my fingertips.

Muah-ha-ha.

Really, though, it’s been surprisingly un-scary. One thing I’m realizing is that even when I’m at an increased risk of contracting one disease, I’m at a lesser risk of getting something else. Most of us don’t get through life without some sort of illness, particularly if we live to a grand old age, so if it’s not one thing, it’s likely to be another.

One of the coolest things about the information there is the analysis of traits. I’m fascinated that there is a way to tell, from my DNA, whether I am likely to be a sprinter (nope), likely to be tolerant of lactose (yep) and what type of ear wax I have (wet. Ew.)

It got me to thinking about the other traits I’m proud (?) to call my own, and wondering what my genes say about them.

For instance, I cannot walk into a kitchen without opening every single cupboard door and then leaving them open after I leave the room. I have tried to train myself out of this habit, but I’ve been at it since I was a kid, and can’t seem to stop. It must be encoded in my genes. Right?

I have an impressively long tongue. I am the only one of my siblings who can touch the tip of my nose with my tongue (when I was a kid, my sibs would try to get me to pick my nose with my tongue. I’m ashamed to say I gave in more than once). Was there perhaps a recessive gene for longer-than-usual tongues that got passed down from one of my ancestors?

As of now, I can’t get that information from my 23andMe data, but I do know that I’m not resistant to malaria, that I’m at a decreased risk of contracting both types of diabetes (yay!) and that I’m at an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration (boo!) And since we’re always finding out more about what our genes mean, it’s possible that one day I will be able to unlock the secrets of my long tongue or finally explain why I am cupboard challenged.

Do you have any traits that you think might be explainable by genetics?

(Pregnant? Trying to get pregnant? Or previously pregnant? Visit the 23andMe Pregnancy Community to take part (free) in discussions, take fun surveys and contribute to pregnancy-related health research.)