“You look really good for 35.” One of my co-workers said that to me this week. I adore her and I know she meant it as a compliment though it struck me as such an odd thing to say. Exactly what does 35 look like? I turned 35 in March and detailed out 35 things I’ve learned along the way in this lifetime. As I wrote the post, I was continually surprised by how un-35 I felt.
The other day I was brushing my teeth and it happened. One little lone white hair. I immediately ran to Google and found that stray white hairs can happen at any age and one really doesn’t signify anything. I looked a little closer at the mirror. No wrinkles yet. “Good,” I thought. “This oily skin of mine has some upside.” I promptly started to see a dermatologist for the first time in my life to make sure I keep this skin as long as possible. No matter what Google says, that little white hair was a wake-up call. Time is passing by, like it or not. I was surprised by my reaction. Maybe I am not as okay with aging as I thought I was.
And then I saw this Guatemalan proverb on Daily Good’s email. It made me laugh at all my determination to not get older, or at least not to look like I’m getting older. In my heart, I’m still sorting it all out, still experimenting, and still beginning. Now I’m starting to realize that perhaps this sorting is a lifelong process, for the young and the young at heart.
I’m reminded of Sandra Cisnero‘s writing that says we are always all the ages we’ve ever been. We carry that experience, that memory, that outlook with us. Whether or not we have white hair and wrinkles, there’s a part of our heart that is always young. And that is a comfort at any age.
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
6 thoughts on “Beginning: What It Means to be Young at Heart”
Christa,
The soul is eternal, everlasting, timeless, ageles and there are no wrinkles on it.
I have known people who look old at 15 and others who look very young at 80.
Those who diet and exercise, those who are disciplined in their habits also tend to age slower.
I know this from interacting with both disciplined and undisciplined people.
For a further discussion, please read “Ageless Body, Timeless Mind” by Dr.Deepak Chopra.
Dr.Chopra gives remarkable examples and wonderful explanations for those of us who need his comfort. This message is especially important for women who are concerned about the first signs of ageing.
We carry a lot of cultural baggage about age, don’t we? Since we live in a youth-oriented culture, this is but natural, but it can also be challenged.
I have found older people who can age gracefully and I really admire that quality.
35? You are still a baby in the woods and have a long life ahead of you. Don’t worry about it. You will do just fine.
Have a good one. Cheers to your life, as always. Thanks.
Hi Archan,
This is one book I haven’t read yet by Dr. Chopra. I will have to pick it up. There is something to be said for doing everything with grace, aging included.
I remember seeing alumnae come back to my school and in my mind remarking how “old” they looked, smugly confident that I had a long way to go before I hit their ages. but here I am at 69, and thinking “this doesn’t feel as old as I thought it would” and “I don’t look so bad!” One reason I love Al Roker is that he continually reminds everyone that 40 is the new 60, etc. You are only as old as you allow yourself to feel, living graciously each day as it comes, enjoying every moment – even the hard ones – they hold lessons, reminders and opportunities, and grateful to have another day to accomplish something. Archan Mehta’s message above is precious. Said it all so well.
Christa,
The soul is eternal, everlasting, timeless, ageles and there are no wrinkles on it.
I have known people who look old at 15 and others who look very young at 80.
Those who diet and exercise, those who are disciplined in their habits also tend to age slower.
I know this from interacting with both disciplined and undisciplined people.
For a further discussion, please read “Ageless Body, Timeless Mind” by Dr.Deepak Chopra.
Dr.Chopra gives remarkable examples and wonderful explanations for those of us who need his comfort. This message is especially important for women who are concerned about the first signs of ageing.
We carry a lot of cultural baggage about age, don’t we? Since we live in a youth-oriented culture, this is but natural, but it can also be challenged.
I have found older people who can age gracefully and I really admire that quality.
35? You are still a baby in the woods and have a long life ahead of you. Don’t worry about it. You will do just fine.
Have a good one. Cheers to your life, as always. Thanks.
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Hi Archan,
This is one book I haven’t read yet by Dr. Chopra. I will have to pick it up. There is something to be said for doing everything with grace, aging included.
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I remember seeing alumnae come back to my school and in my mind remarking how “old” they looked, smugly confident that I had a long way to go before I hit their ages. but here I am at 69, and thinking “this doesn’t feel as old as I thought it would” and “I don’t look so bad!” One reason I love Al Roker is that he continually reminds everyone that 40 is the new 60, etc. You are only as old as you allow yourself to feel, living graciously each day as it comes, enjoying every moment – even the hard ones – they hold lessons, reminders and opportunities, and grateful to have another day to accomplish something. Archan Mehta’s message above is precious. Said it all so well.
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So, so true. No age seems to feel as we imagine it. Archan does always have a way of putting things into perspective, doesn’t he?!
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That’s why I watch cartoons. I plan to be 10 forever, at least for a few hours a week. So far, so good.
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Michael,
Such a good point! I need to add more cartoons to my life, too 🙂
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