The New York Times put together its annual review of the year in pictures. Every year I’m stunned by everything that’s happened in our world. The earthquake in Haiti, and then the earthquake soon after in Chile. The volcano in Iceland. The Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The oil spill in the Gulf. The World Cup in South Africa. The rescue of the Chilean miners.
Photographers are such a treasure who capture moments that help us remember these monumental events with great emotion. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I think its worth something beyond words, something we just can’t capture in language. They transport us to a different time and place, they increase our capacity for compassion and empathy, and show us an alternative existence, one often wholly unfamiliar to us. Through pictures, we live many lifetimes.
The ones that truly leave me with my mouth hanging open are the ones depicting the dynamic nature of our planet. We think the ground we stand on is so steady, but it’s no wonder we experience so many shifts in our lives. Everything around us is shifting all the time. It’s in our nature to shift and change, to catch and release, to live on the peaks of mountains as often as we live far below in the depths of the valley. The only thing we’re certain of is that where we are today, what we see, hear, and feel will be different tomorrow.
So take the day today and really look around, take in the view, take in every detail your senses will absorb. We will never pass this way again exactly as it is at this moment. Each one its own special gift made just for us.
The image above depicts the eruption of the volcano in Iceland earlier this year that completely shut down air travel in the northern hemisphere. It can be found here.
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
The New York Times put together its annual review of the year in pictures. Every year I’m stunned by everything that’s happened in our world. The earthquake in Haiti, and then the earthquake soon after in Chile. The volcano in Iceland. The Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The oil spill in the Gulf. The World Cup in South Africa. The rescue of the Chilean miners. 
Christa,
I think you are a visual person and have an eye for pictures.
Images are your strength. You present photos quite well.
Just my humble opinion. Thanks for your contributions. Cheers.
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Thanks, Archan. That means so much to me. I have never really thought of myself as a visual person, but I want to explore that side of my brain a bit more in the coming year. I’ll let you know how it goes and thanks, as always, for the encouragement.
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