A friend told me the time for his dream had passed. He’d missed his opportunity to do what he really wanted to do with his life. He asked me if I had any advice. I told him the story of a meditation I did to help myself heal when I was going through cancer treatment. I imagined myself as a Rose of Jericho, the resurrection plant.
When there’s a drought, this plant dries up and curls into a ball, shedding 95% of its water. It looks dead and lifeless, but it’s just sleeping, coating its cells with sugars and salts to preserve and protect them. It can stay like that for up to 5 years. If the drought goes on longer than that, it detaches from its roots and tumbles elsewhere with the help of the wind. Once it gets even a minuscule amount of water, the sugars and salts dissolve, and the plant springs back to life without a hint of the difficulty it endured.
Like my friend, you may have dreams you haven’t pursued. Or maybe you tried to pursue them, and they didn’t work out as you’d hoped. Sit down, close your eyes, and imagine yourself as the Rose of Jericho. (You might be rolling your eyes at this. I get it. It sounds hokey. But listen, this meditation is one of the things that got me through cancer so maybe it will help you get through the difficulties you’re facing, too.)
Imagine yourself in a deep slumber, curled up in a ball, wishing things were different, and enduring whatever hardship has found you. Now detach from your roots and let the wind carry you. Imagine you find and settle into a place of abundance, joy, and opportunity. What does that place look, sound, smell, taste, and feel like? (Take your time here. Really get into the multi-sensory experience. Give yourself permission to imagine.) Now imagine a mist of water falling. Take in that sweetness and nourishment. Let it fill you up. Uncurl. Flourish.
In this new year, you may face difficulties. You may think time and the world have passed by you and your dreams. You may think it’s too late or too hard to do or change anything. Let nature be your guide and lead you to higher ground.
This meditation and example of the Rose of Jericho can be the first small step toward something better for yourself. Rest and retreat. If you can, go in search of a better place for you and your dreams, even if it’s just in your mind for the moment. Protect and preserve yourself now so you can recognize and meet opportunity when a more beneficial hour, and maybe a second chance, arrives.
If you give this meditation a try, please let me know how it goes. I’m rooting for you!
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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