change, grateful, gratitude, home, moving, thankful

Inspired: Eventually the Sun Returns

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

Exactly as Phin and I crossed Central Park to begin moving into our new apartment, the sun began to part the clouds after days of torrential rain and months of intense uncertainty. My first thoughts was, “You’ve gotta be kidding me, Mother Nature.” She wasn’t kidding; she can be so cliché and I’ve never loved a cliché more than I did at that moment. The lesson wasn’t lost on me: eventually the light always returns and we have the right to bask in it.

This apartment search has been a tough journey, and a good one. I feel stronger, braver, and more open to change as a result of it. I learned what was important, and what wasn’t. Best of all, I realized just how many incredible people I have in my life. Thank you all for sharing in this journey and being a part of the solution. You’re welcome to visit any time and help me explore my new neighborhood. Actually, I insist. Tomorrow my blog returns to its regularly scheduled programming of inspiration and encouragement. Today I’m spending the day saying thank you, for everything.

change, home, New York City

Inspired: Movin’ On Up to the East Side

Christa Avampato
A typical block on the Upper East Side
A typical block on the Upper East Side

Today Phin and I will be movin’ on up in the true style of the Jeffersons. We’ll trek across the park to the Upper East Side to sublet from our lovely, kind, and incredibly generous friend, AraBella. After reading about our heinous apartment search via Facebook, she took pity on us after one hell of a crazy experience that showed me just how brutal the New York City real estate market has become. We’re so incredibly grateful to her!

New York City is changing a lot; I’m changing a lot. I never thought I’d want to own real estate. Now I know being a homeowner of some kind, somewhere, is in my future. Being at the mercy of a landlord every year is just not the way I want to live anymore. So now the question is where will this home be, and when will I get there. I have no idea what the answer is but at least I am clear on the question, and that’s half the battle, right?

In the meantime, Phin and I have a lot of exploring to do. We’re going to have to find our way around and develop some new routines. He’ll come through it like a champ; he always does. Me? Well, that remains to be seen. I’m going to let him lead. He’s got a better (and bigger) nose than I do. Luckily, we have a number of friends in our new neck of the woods and we’re hoping they will give us the inside scoop on everything wonderful around our new digs.

Here’s to change and everything that it has to teach us!

home, New York City

Inspired: Goodbye to the Upper West Side of Manhattan

Christa Avampato
Our favorite blocks on the Upper West Side look like this

The Upper West Side of Manhattan has been my home for almost 7 years and I have loved it here. The community, the peace, the people. It was always my dream to live in this neighborhood. This was always my New York. I learned so much here, about myself and about the world. This is a time that I will always be grateful for, a time that I will always remember with a lot of affection. It wasn’t always easy, though I wouldn’t trade a day of it for anything. As my friend, Moya, recently said, “This is the end of an era.” She’s right.

Of course, I’ll be back. I still teach my yoga class for seniors over here every week. I have a feeling Phin might continue to want to trot over here on our walks now and then to say hi to our old building’s staff with whom he shares a close bond—mostly because they adore him and he loves the treats they always have for him! However, it won’t ever be the same. I’m closing the book on this chapter, and there’s some sadness in that. I’m comfortable here. I love my life here. If I could, I’d stay. But I can’t, so I won’t. I’ll miss it, a lot. I miss it already.

To be honest, I’m not ready. And to be even more honest, the universe doesn’t care that I’m not ready. It’s decided that I will start a new journey now and it won’t tell me exactly where I’m going. Just that I’m taking a trip.

Alright, universe. I hear you. I’ll go. Show me what it is you have to show me. Teach me what it is you have to teach me. In your own twisted way, you’ll lead me to exactly the place I’m meant to be. Just let Phin and I take one more spin around this afternoon. Let us walk by all our favorite haunts and greet all our neighbors as we’ve done so many times for so many years.

Thanks for the memories, Upper West Side. We’ve loved playing our part in your history, and we’ve loved having you as a part of ours. It’s a place we will not soon forget.

action, adventure, change

Inspired: Trading Habits for Intentions

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

My habits are being shaken to the core right now: I’m moving to a new apartment in a new neighborhood and my workload and career are shifting. My play, Sing After Storms, is about to go into rehearsal, and that will drastically change my schedule. I have the feeling that I’m at the start of a very exciting and very long journey, and I don’t know exactly where it will lead nor what turns in the road to expect. I do know that I will have to navigate it purposefully and by intent. 3 cheers for self-made change!

action

Inspired: Better than Possible

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

Is there anything better than the exhilaration we feel when we stand in the light of possibility? Yes, there is. It’s called getting things done. Possibility is at our doorstep every single day so grab it. Chase down that dream.

action, adventure, change, choices, decision-making, time

Inspired: The Only Time You Have is Now

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

I’ve been talking to a lot of friends about big life changes. Moving, relationships, jobs, creative projects. It’s too easy to say, “I’ll get to that later.” Later never arrives. If you have something you really want to do, something you want to try, take the plunge. Give it a whirl. Grab the opportunity. There’s no good reason to put off anything you really want to do. You deserve the very best shot at exactly the life you want. I support anyone and everyone willing to take any kind of chance. Go for it!

passion

Inspired: The two most important days of your life

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain

Celebrate your birthday and celebrate the day when you find your calling; they are equally important. The first is destiny and dictated by Nature; the second is a choice only you can make.

action, adventure, future

Inspired: This is How We Roll

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

Don’t worry about the storms ahead. The winds are always on the side of the ablest navigator. Sail on.

action, creativity

Inspired: The Best Kind of Triple Threat

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest
From Pinterest

My favorite triple threat: Have ideas. Get things done. Have a heart.

action, adventure, future

Inspired: Let the Future Be Dangerous

Christa Avampato

From Pinterest“It is the business of the future to be dangerous.” ~ Alfred North Whitehead

We have to stretch further than we think we can to find out just how far we can go. Lately, my future feels a little dangerous to me. I feel like I’m skating across very thin ice. I’m taking on new, big, exciting endeavors that I’ve never tried before now that demand a lot of my time, energy, and attention. Sometimes I sit straight up in bed in the middle of the night and my only thoughts are, “What have I done? What am I going to do? Who do I think I am?”

And then I take a deep breath. I go back to the beginning, like I’ve done so many times before. I remind myself why I started this improbable journey and all of the beautiful things that have fallen into place through hard work, dedication, and my steadfast belief in the power of a community united behind a common goal.

“I need more sleep,” I think to myself. It’s almost dawn. In a few hours, I’ll need to be up and about looking danger in the face without flinching. Better to live in the now. The future will be here soon enough, and when it arrives, I’ll be ready for it.