I’m a big believer in writing down my wildest dreams and hopes in my own handwriting. It worked for finding my dream job. And now it’s worked for Phin. Yesterday, I had to take Phin for an MRI. He was having intense pain, but I wasn’t sure where it was coming from. While I waited for him, I wrote him a letter about how I wanted this situation to unfold. It was a hopeful wish against all odds. 15 minutes later the neurologist called me and delivered exactly the news I had written down moments before. She even used some of the exact same words I had written down. It was wild! It is a minor issue that we can fix with medication and rest for two weeks. Call it karma, the power of prayer, or magic. Whatever it is, I know it works. If you’ve got wishes, write them down.
Here’s the letter I wrote to Phin:
“Dear Phineas,
I really need you to be okay, buddy. You’ve been through so much in the last set of months, too much for a dog so sweet and loving. I know you are strong and brave, and that we have many more adventures ahead of us. We still have quite a way to travel together so I know you are going to pull through this latest blip like the champ that you are.
We’re going to look back and shake our heads at this. Once on the other side, we’re going to be very grateful that this wasn’t serious at all, only something minor and easily fixed in no time. You’re going to be happy, healthy, and whole. I just know it. You already are. These tests are just to be 100% certain of it, without a trace of doubt left.
From now, we’re going to take it easy. Just snuggles and walks and laughs together. Many more years of them. This reality already exists for us. I’m just pulling it out of the ether now. We have a house to buy (eventually), a beau for me (and a dad for you!) to find, and a city to explore. Hikes in Shenandoah. Roosevelt Island, the monuments around the Tidal Basin, Rock Creek Park, the C&O Canal.
You have so much life and love and adventure still in you. So have faith and courage. We’ll face this together head on, as we always have, as we always will.
Summer is almost here. The warm air and the long, happy days filled with sunshine are just around the bend and I can’t wait to share them with you on our long walks together. All is well. All good things.
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
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