“On my yoga mat, I ask myself what I can let go of & what I can let in to be more connected to the essence of yoga.” ~ Planet Yoga via Twitter
Dogs are resilient. They leave the past where it should be – in the past. They take the learnings they need from their experience and move forward. I’m not sure how they figured that out and left us to the task of reliving our pasts over and over again. I do know that we have a lot to learn from our canine pals.
When I read Planet Yoga’s tweet on letting go, I was reminded of how much we have to gain from release. We think of letting go as just loss, but there’s a flip side to it, too. When we release and empty out, we make room for new chances for happiness and fulfillment. We give ourselves permission to move onward and upward.
Hanging on to the past doesn’t serve us. I think about what Phineas’s life would now be like if he couldn’t let go of the heartbreak he must have felt when his first family mistreated him. What if instead of being his loving, friendly self, he had let the mistreatment make him bitter and cold? He may have never found his way to me, and might never have been able to enjoy the truly charmed life he lives now. What’s more, he ran away from his abusive home without knowing if things would be better. I think he just knew that his conditions were bad, unacceptable even, and somewhere in his tiny dachshund heart he knew that there had to be a better life waiting for him someplace else. He went it alone, and in a way based on nothing but faith.
On Sunday morning, the sun was shining and Phin and I were making our way up West End Avenue under the brightly colored leaves that line the street. I could smell hot apple cider from the street fair underway and there was a saxophone player entertaining us with a song that could have set up the opening credits to a feel-good movie. We passed by the beautiful brownstones of the Upper West Side, and in that instant life felt absolutely perfect. I was overwhelmed by a feeling of gratitude at the simplicity and happiness of that moment, and carried it with me for the rest of the day.
In order to have that moment with Phin, I needed to let go of the pain I felt when Sebastian passed away a year ago and Phin needed to let go of the family that had abandoned him. We both had to learn how to love again. I may have rescued Phin from the Humane Society, but he rescued me right back. Right then, I made a vow to let go of sadness more often in favor of letting in more light.
The photo above shows Phin and I at the 8th Annual My Dog Loves Central Park Country Fair. It was taken by photographer James Riordan.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
“On my yoga mat, I ask myself what I can let go of & what I can let in to be more connected to the essence of yoga.” ~ Planet Yoga via Twitter
Big smiles for you and Phin. That gratitude you have for each other will be something that will be so wonderful for you both throughout your lives. Big hugs to you both.
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