Yesterday was a tough day. I got home and just felt wiped. You know that feeling, the one that says you can’t take even one more little thing. I just felt sad, and tired, and tapped out.
To get myself in a better frame of mind, I took a shower to wash off the day and then took Phin for a walk. I bumped into a few of my neighbors outside and had a nice conversation. We didn’t talk about anything life-changing – just our dogs and the humid weather. And then something shifted. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it was. All of a sudden, I felt at home.
To be honest, I’ve been mourning a few things – the change in neighborhood, the fact that my condo deal fell through and I’m still renting, Phin’s difficulties adjusting with separation anxiety again. We also lost a dear family friend this weekend. She lived a long, happy, beautiful life, and still, I wish it wasn’t her time. I have a lot of friends who are struggling right now with so many things in their lives, and all I can do for them is listen and love them. And this is just what’s happening in my tiny world to say nothing of what’s happening to the world at-large.
It seems that a lot of people are grieving. In times of grief and change, I tend to cocoon myself. Maybe it’s a protective reflex. Maybe it’s because I need some quiet time to figure out how I think and feel about something. What I do know is that if I can stay open to possibility, to new insights and ideas, to the beauty that can come from change if only I can give myself time to adjust, then eventually things click. What seemed like a burden becomes a gift. What seemed like work becomes play. What was foreign becomes familiar. Openness paves the way for transformation if we can allow it the space to do its work.
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
Sometimes those moments of simple human connection can make all the difference in a difficult day. Nice post, Christa.
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Thanks, Jan. It is the little moments that make such a difference.
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