Iceland has been on my list of place to visit for a long time. I’m so excited to be able to bring that gorgeous landscape and natural history filled with mystery into the world of my next Emerson Page book (along with my magical trip to Ireland earlier this year.) I spent the majority of my time outside. The open air restored my spirit and I stuffed my eyes with beauty at every turn.
What I love most about travel, is that I get the chance to be exactly who I am moment to moment without the requirements of labels, titles, and actions. I’m not my job or my projects. I’m just me, and there is newness everywhere.
Whenever I come back from a trip, my heart and mind are filled with mixed emotions. I love being back in New York with my friends and my sweet dog, Phineas. I’m grateful for the adventures I had, and I miss the freedom that travel affords to shake off responsibilities and to-do lists. The difficulty of re-entry is a real thing, even when I’m away for just a short time.
To get through that, I start thinking about a new adventure, some time from now to some place I’ve never been before. On the plane home from Iceland, I came across an article in a travel magazine about the Azores (an autonomous region of Portugal), an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic that’s a nature lover’s paradise. São Miguel, the largest island, has lake-filled calderas and a huge tea plantation. Pico, another island, is home to the 2,351m Mt. Pico and vineyards sheltered by boulders. It’s also known for its beautiful birds, stunning waterfalls, whale watching, volcano roots, and hiking.
The Azores are calling and I must go. If you’ve been, I’d love recommendations!
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/
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