When I was 18 years old, I came to Oak Park, IL to visit my sister. She was co-oping at the time, and that little weekend trip from my house to Chicago was an 18th birthday present to myself. Since I'm a big reader and a big Ernest Hemingway fan, we hopped on over to Hemingway's house and museum after our morning coffee. No, I didn't celebrate my 18th by buying a cigarette or a lottery ticket; I visited Ernest Hemingway's birthplace like any normal 18-year-old would do. Boy, did I enjoy every second of it.

The reason I'm writing this now, almost 3 years later, is because I am in Oak Park, yet again! I didn't get very many pictures the first time I went, so I am planning on visiting his house and museum again this weekend. In the meantime, I thought I would share some of his words of wisdom with you all:

Even though Hemingway's life did not end very pleasantly, I greatly admire his work. It was an amazing opportunity to get to see where this brilliant man grew up, to see real photos of his childhood, and to hear about some of his life's stories by an expert.

So, consider this part 1 of your "Guide to Hemingway" - Next week, I will be back with pictures and, hopefully, some unknown facts about Ernie that you never knew you wanted to know.