Every one of us is responsible for ourselves. We go through life going through the motions or we choose to take life by the horns. We are all faced with decisions that dictate the paths we choose to travel.

My dad passed away when I was 17 years old (my brother Mike was 13). He had worked very hard to provide for his family. Unfortunately he was struck down by cancer at the young age of 53. The passing of my dad made me realize that we are mortal and our time on this earth is limited. Life is short. There are so many ambitions and possibilities but so little time. It was like a big light went on in my head.

One of the most important decisions in my life was to choose to live life to the fullest everyday. I love to travel, I have parachuted, I've been white water rafting (even though I could not swim at the time) and much more. I am always ready to have a good time. I try to take advantage of any opportunity to do something different. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a party pooper.
(Part 2 to be continued next week...)

Carmy Santoro