Tag: joy

creativity

Day 20: A magician in the kitchen

Christa Avampato
Me smiling with a plate of Golden Diner’s famous pancakes

I see myself as an amateur cook and baker, and a professional eater. I’m always hungry for something delicious. I also love that other than a recipe I may have on my phone (though I love cookbooks – I read them like novels!), cooking and baking are completely analog, tactile activities. No screens. No chatter. Lots of experimenting. No matter how well I know a recipe, making it never unfolds exactly the same way twice (at least not for me!)

I don’t like shopping. At all. Except for grocery shopping. Picking out and trying on clothes. Ugh. Not at all interested. Picking out produce, spice blends, cheeses. Sign me up for all of that. I get giddy as I head home with my grocery bags knowing they are full of potential to bring me joy.

There’s something magical and poetic about taking a bunch of separate ingredients and combining them to make something greater than the sum of its parts. I love the science, art, and sprinkle of luck that’s involved in cooking and baking.

Because I’m an adventurous eater, I’m also an adventurous cook and baker. I love to try making a cuisine that’s not in my wheelhouse. I love cracking into a recipe that I’ve never made before. I like to stretch my techniques, trying to make something that feels just beyond my skill set. Like all adventures, there will be some mishaps. Sometimes, I’ll mess up, make a mess, or burn something.

The other day I made something that was *truly* awful. I tossed it right into the compost, which crushed my heart a bit because it felt like a waste of time and I hate food waste. It makes me hangry to make something terrible, but that’s part of the process of an analog activity.

Sometimes I’ll completely surprise myself with how good something is. I’ll master a technique that I’ve worked hard to fully understand and execute. That makes me feel like a wizard, confident in my abilities and happy with a full belly.

When perfecting a recipe, I have to try and try again to get it just right and to get a result I’m consistently happy with. And there’s something to be said for that. Yes, the reward of something perfectly cooked or baked is a thing of beauty. But there’s also so much reward in the process itself from the planning and research, to shopping, to being in my kitchen and then at my dining table. I even like the washing up afterwards.

On my bucket list is a cooking vacation where the entire point of the trip is to take cooking classes, go to food markets, and visit farms, restaurants, and food businesses. Food is so full of everything I love – culture, history, and stories. Always stories. And to me, that sounds like an ideal way to spend my time.

creativity

Day 23: The secret of life

Christa Avampato
Halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. https://youtu.be/B7hIiaXBpco?si=Xr-h5q5_U-tsXxnZ

I’ve never cried during a halftime show of a sports event until today. During the FIFA World Cup between Spain and Argentina, the halftime show had a theme of love and the unifying power of music. For each other and for ourselves. Chris Martin of Cold Play and Global Citizen created it. I danced around my living room and sang along, so excited to see the breadth and depth of the performers from across the world: The Muppets including Sesame Street characters and The Electric Mayhem, Shakira with Burna Boy and Ghetto Kids, Staten Island’s PS22 Chorus, Jason Sudeikis in full Ted Lasso mode, conductor Gustavo Dudamel leading the New York Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Emmanuel Kelly. I’ll be watching it on repeat here. An eclectic mashup full of unbridled joy is the boost I needed.

Joy was part of my care plan when I went through cancer. Every day, no matter what happened, I found something that brought me joy. Sometimes it was a song, a show or movie, a friend, a good test result, my dog, something delicious, taking a walk with my sister, sunshine. It didn’t take long after I was diagnosed to realize the secret of life is to love and be loved. It’s that simple and that complex.

Love saved me more than once on that journey – friends who got me to the ER and took care of my dog, care packages, cards, flowers, texts, phone calls, and emails when I needed to know I wasn’t alone in all this, my sister staying with me for many weeks while I recovered from surgeries, friends who got me grocery gift cards that I used when I was finally strong enough to shop for myself again, my business school friends who put together a recorded zoom and daily emails to spell out a secret message – “Stay Strong And Full Of Light.” I’m going to get that as a tattoo.

I’m reminded that in the midst of tragedy and sadness, a beauty emerges that isn’t always as apparent in good times. Maybe that’s because difficulty strips away some kind of inhibition that holds us back too often from saying and showing how we feel. During cancer I had the chance to hear things from people that are often only said during someone’s eulogy. One of the great gifts of cancer and almost dying is that I got to hear those things while very much alive. I’ll always be grateful for that and all the love that surrounded me. When I was down to nothing, love shone brighter than ever. Isn’t that something?

creativity

Day 24: What are we waiting for?

Christa Avampato
Using my new Beautiful by Drew plates today. Just for me.

We’ve all uttered the phrase, “Someday I’ll…” It applies to big dreams and small delights. Earlier this year, I’d planned to make brunch for friends. I’d worked out a lovely feast as cooking and baking are two of my favorite pastimes. I bought new cookware, bakeware, and plates for the occasion (thank you Drew Barrymore!)

The winter being what it was meant we decided to cancel, and sadly never rescheduled. I was sad about this. I never even opened the box of Beautiful by Drew plates. I just put the sealed box in the back of my closet for someday. After all, why should I have new plates just for myself. I’d wait until a special occasion. Every time I saw it, I felt a little pang. Missed opportunity. Missed connection. Missed fun.

Today as I was cleaning and reorganizing, I saw the sealed box. What was I waiting for, exactly? Why not use the new beautiful plates myself? I opened it, took out the new plates, and swapped out my old ones which are chipped and have seen better days. And thoroughly enjoyed them.

Over the past few months, I’ve been redecorating my apartment and rewarding myself with tiny splurges. These new plates, cookware, and bakeware. A few new small appliances in my kitchen. Painting my apartment. A few new pieces of furniture. New art. New books I’m excited to read. A new yoga mat. I’ve even learned to successfully take those spiderettes from spider plants and make whole new plants from them (a massive accomplishment for someone with no green thumb!) These are all small things that have brought me daily joy and they’ve added up to something wonderful – making someday today. We deserve it. We’re worth it.

creativity

Day 27: It takes a village to heal

Christa Avampato

Healing is a group sport. None of us do it alone. My team is enormous and varied, clinically and personally, earth-bound and spiritually. We’re all involved in an intricate dance where even the steps that seem backward in the moment are just part of how this journey unfolds in real-time. Healing isn’t linear. It can’t be. The world and our bodies are forever in motion on the macro and micro levels. Life is chancey and we never know exactly what’s around the bend.

I see this unfold with my foster dogs on an accelerated timeline. I think it’s one of the great tragedies that our beloved best furry friends (bffs) never live long enough no matter how many years we have them. The best we can do is make every day a great day with them.

My current foster is Blondie. She may be familiar to you. I picked up this little senior lady at Animal Care Centers of NYC last summer and fostered her for Muddy Paws. She was adopted quickly because she’s a sweetheart 🥹 and sadly returned 😭.

On top of the very difficult life she had prior to being found running alone and terrified through traffic on the BQE (!) 🤯 and taken to the ACC by a good samaritan, she’s faced a number of health challenges recently.😥

Now she’s back with me. Thanks to the INCREDIBLE care provided by our rockstar Muddy Paws vet team (YES, we have a veterinarian and vet tech on staff in our very own vet clinic!), I’m nursing her back to health and looking for the perfect adopter to help this very deserving girl have a comfortable, joyful retirement chapter. 😍👑

Second, to help Blondie and the 1,000+ dogs we find homes for EVERY YEAR, a generous donor is matching all donations made TODAY. Every $1 you donate instantly becomes $2! 💲💸

If you’d like to make a donation of any size to my fundraising page (truly, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR HELPS!), that amount will be matched and go directly to helping our dogs find their happy forever homes.

Here is the link to my page and an enormous thank you in advance for helping me, my fosters like Blondie, and the Muddy Paws pack save the lives of more dogs every day: https://give.muddypawsrescue.org/phineas 2026.

Sending lots of love and gratitude to you always! I am so grateful to all of you who support me in my health journey and the dogs in the Muddy Paws pack. We couldn’t heal without you, and healing is the greatest gift we can ever give anyone.

creativity

How I’m celebrating my birthday all month

Christa Avampato

My birthday is on March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day. 🍀 While I love to see all the decorations and parades, it unfortunately makes going out on my actual birthday a little… messy. So, I choose to celebrate the entire month of March and fill it with joy.

Though some people bemoan getting older, I never do. I know many people who never had the privilege to get older. I almost didn’t either. I’m so grateful to get every minute of this life. I love my birthday, and truthfully I’m so happy to get every day that each one feels like my birthday.

This year, I put together a list of things I’d love to do this birthday month. It’s mostly a list of things I’ve never done before and places I’ve never been. Most of them have been on my list for a long time and I want to mark my birthday by weaving them into the fabric of my life. Some are free. Some are paid. Some are simple. Some are more elaborate. Some are on specific dates and some can be done at any time, or when weather permits.

Have you done any of these things? Are there any I missed that you would add? I’d love your input and ideas.

Here’s the list (so far!) in no particular order:

  • The Morgan Library visit (Free Fridays with music)
  • Roosevelt Island Tram ride
  • A Gratitude Walk in Central Park / Prospect Park (Maybe March 20th – the start of Spring)
  • Jim Dale storytelling show (March 9th)
  • See Six on Broadway
  • Lincoln Center show (March 11th)
  • Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with a bagel and coffee
  • ARTECHOUSE visit
  • Spa day at World Spa in Brooklyn
  • Japan Village in Industry City
  • Tea at Brooklyn High Low
  • Queens County Farm Museum
  • Cooking class – would love suggestions!
  • NYC’s Secrets & Lies show at Seaport Museum (March 29th)
  • Ghost tour – would love suggestions!
  • Catacombs under St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral
  • Pizza (See No Evil underground at 50th Street; Arthur & Sons; Roey’s; Paul Gee’s; Williamsburg Pizza)
  • Brooklyn Grange tour – they do yoga there, too
  • AIA New York Architecture tour by boat
  • Go to a reading party with Reading Rhythms
  • Ford Foundation garden
  • Go to Nonna’s of the World Restaurant
  • The NY Earth Room – 141 Wooster Street, New York. The “Broken Kilometer” in SoHo – sister installation to the Earth Room. It’s 500 polished brass rods in a silent, high-ceilinged room. It’s a space designed for pure contemplation. Both are free, silent, and very powerful.
  • Paloma the Bakery
  • Lectures on Tap (March 24th)
  • Redecorating my apartment
  • Raphael exhibit at the Met Museum (March 29th)
  • See a movie at Rooftop Cinema Club
  • A class at Brooklyn Brainery
  • A dining oasis inside the 50th Street 1 Station with a cozy cafe Tiny Dancer, craft cocktails at Nothing Really Matters, and See No Evil’s excellent pizza.
  • Hilmalayan Salt Cave and Red Light Sauna at FloLo Holistic
  • Mani / Pedi
  • Acupuncture sessions – started on March 2nd
  • Ellicottville visit (Feb 27th – March 1st)
  • Spend an hour at a beautiful library (like General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen on 44th St or The New York Public Library’s East Room) writing a letter to my future self to be opened in 10 years.
  • Candlelight Concert at the Church of the Heavenly Rest featuring the best works of Hans Zimmer (Interstellar, Inception, The Lion King). (March 20th)
  • Ophelia Lounge’s “Luminosity” – Located at the top of the historic Beekman Tower, this lounge is currently doing an installation called Luminosity. They have filled the space with 1,000 flickering candles and projections of the Northern Lights. It’s quiet, incredibly beautiful, and feels like a literal “temple” to the city.
  • “First Light” at Pier 3. Grab a coffee and go to Pier 3 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It has a “labyrinth” garden made of hedges and is one of the best spots to watch the sun hit the Manhattan skyline.
  • Electric Lemon’s Terrace: Perched on the 24th floor in Hudson Yards, this terrace has a massive Jaume Plensa sculpture and incredible, unobstructed views of the Hudson River. It’s much quieter than the nearby “Edge” and feels very sophisticated.
  • The Staple Street Skybridge: Go to Tribeca and find this tiny, iconic bridge connecting two buildings over a cobblestone alley. It’s one of the most “old New York” photo ops in the city.
  • Sunset from the South Brooklyn Ferry: Instead of a tourist cruise, take the NYC Ferry (South Brooklyn route) from Wall Street to Sunset Park. It’s $2.90 for a 45-minute “cruise” that passes right under the bridges.
  • A Sound Bath at Woom Center: They use 3D sound and “vibrational therapy” in a dark room. It’s an incredible way to clear the mental clutter and focus on the health and strength of your body.
  • Evening Star at SVA Flatiron Project Space: This is an immersive exhibition (running through March 19th) that explores “feminine folk wisdom” and ancestral magic. It’s a very cool, atmospheric space to wander through.
  • Arte Museum New York: A brand-new immersive digital art space in Chelsea that engages sight, sound, and even scent. It features “Eternal Nature” exhibits like crashing waterfalls and blooming flower fields—a perfect sensory celebration of life.
  • Gratitude postcard writing
  • A “Life at Sea” Visit to the Brooklyn Museum. They have an exhibit right now called Oliver Jeffers: Life at Sea. It is whimsical, meditative, and focuses on our connection to the ocean and the environment. It is a great way to spend a quiet afternoon.
  • The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered at the Center for Brooklyn History
  • Chamber Magic at the Lotte New York Palace. It’s held in a private suite at the Palace Hotel. It’s “parlor magic” for a small audience in cocktail attire.
  • The “Lobby of the Future”: Visit the brand-new STORIED Chelsea. It’s a landmark building that was recently restored into a stunning event and art space. 
creativity

A dream realized – I graduated from University of Cambridge

Christa Avampato

It happened! A dream deferred, but not denied. The hope of going to and graduating from University of Cambridge was part of what kept me alive during my cancer journey in 2020 / 2021. On Friday, that hope became a reality — I graduated with my Master’s in Sustainability Leadership with my friends, family, and faculty there.

The best part of these years has been to do this programme with such a stunning group of people who have inspired me from day one when we started down this path together in September 2022 – students, faculty, and staff. No one’s more fortunate than me to have had this experience with them and to call them dear friends.

In this uncertain world, I’m not sure what my next chapter holds. I do know I’m on my way and all the better for having these gorgeous people as fellow travelers.

A profound thank you full of love and an enormous congratulations to everyone in Cohort 13. I’m beyond proud to be one of you and I’m already looking forward to our next reunion.💚 (Happy photos below!)

creativity

What’s it like to foster a dog? Meet my first foster, Ace

Christa Avampato
My foster dog, Ace, from Muddy Paws Rescue NYC

Welcome to Brooklyn, Ace! I picked up my cutie foster dog from Muddy Paws Rescue NYC, and he lives up to his name. By all accounts, he is absolutely aces! Below are some photos from our first day together.

We don’t know much about his history. He’s 6 months old and 19 pounds with a cute trot that makes him look like a little fox. He was found with his siblings in Kentucky and ended up in a shelter. They all had terrible mange (a skin infection) and are healing up well now. Ace has a few bare spots where his fur is growing back. His siblings were also transported by Muddy Paws and are being fostered, too!

Despite all of the new sights, sounds, and scents in NYC, Ace is adjusting incredibly well. We’re working on crate training and he’s taking to it so quickly. He walks well on a leash though it’s clear he’s never had a leash or collar before. He does shake is head when wearing the collar trying to figure out what the heck this is! He listens well and is very smart. We’re working on some basic commands and structured walks. Though he had two accidents in my apartment when we got home for the first time yesterday, I realize now I didn’t know his cues. By this morning, I completely understood when he was telling me he needed to go. He caught on to house training at lightning speed!

Ace is definitely a velcro dog. He loves to cuddle and he’s a sweet, loving pup. Belly rubs, kisses, and pets are his favorite. Never enough love for this guy. Working out at home today with him out of his crate was hilarious to say the least. Try doing burpees and sit-ups when a dog just wants to sit in your lap!

He’s motivated by treats and affection. He doesn’t know what a toy is so hasn’t shown any interest in them (also very common for street dogs who are new to a home.)

He’s unsure about other dogs at the moment, either ignoring them, giving a bark or 2, or freezing in place when he sees a dog. This is very normal for strays as they have been taught to be wary of other dogs just to survive on the streets.

Ace shows absolutely no aggression nor any prey drive. I can touch all his food and treats without him doing a thing. I left him alone in his crate for about 30 minutes today and within 15 minutes he settled down. He slept in his crate as well and slept through the night (except when he had a dry throat and needed some water, which I got for him.) We’re going to try a walk in Prospect Park this afternoon.

Ace will be available for adoption applications on the Muddy Paws website starting on Tuesday, November 26th. Since he is small, sweet, smart, and a puppy, I think there will be a lot of interest in him. Happy to answer any questions about Ace, fostering dogs, or Muddy Paws Rescue.

creativity

I fell hard for Liverpool; you will, too.

Christa Avampato
The Beatles statue. Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool. Photo by Christa Avampato.

I love a gritty city – one peppered with history, music, art, and salt-of-the-earth people. I fell for Liverpool as soon as I arrived. I walked out of the train station and into the cool morning light. I immediately felt at home. The food is delicious, the people are kind, and the city is thriving with art and music everywhere. It’s also very affordable. I could easily live there and be very happy!

Some highlights:

As a port city, Liverpool has an extensive dock area. It’s been refurbished as the Royal Albert Dock, filled with restaurants, cafes, bakeries, pubs, and art. It’s a fun area to spend an afternoon. (Rough Handmade is one of the greatest bakeries I’ve ever been to anywhere!)

Bold Street is one of the main commercial areas filled with shops, food, and bookstores. Open early to late, there’s something for everyone there. I spent an event there at Mowgli, enjoying some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had. There are a few Mowgli locations in Liverpool and each of them is beautiful, buzzy, and relaxed.

Seeing the Beatles childhood homes and the Cavern Club was the main reason I went to Liverpool. I love their story and music. My old neighborhood on the Upper West Side has the Dakota, the last home of John Lennon, and Strawberry Fields in Central Park where the “Imagine” sundial honors John’s legacy. The two childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney in Liverpool are very different from one another. They’re time capsules that tell their story of friendship and happenstance in the wake of WWII. No pictures are allowed inside the houses, but you can get excellent indoor tours with the National Trust. The tour picks up at Speke Hall, another great National Trust home (that’s 400 years old!) and grounds that I highly recommend seeing. Become a member of the National Trust and this tour (as well as Speke Hall), along with many other UK sites, are deeply discounted or free.

Liverpool is home to many museums, my favorite being the Maritime Museum. It pays homage to the Titanic because the White Star Line, the ship’s owner, was based there. The museum also exposes the city’s horrific role in the transatlantic slave trade. While many cities and countries attempt to sweep tragedy under the rug, Liverpool addresses directly and honestly in this museum and throughout the city.

The Resident is a fantastic boutique hotel that emphasizes sustainability and is a repurposed factory. Incredible service and great accommodations, it’s located very close to Bold Street and within walking distance of all the great sites of the city.

While Liverpool isn’t as flashy as some other European destination, it’s filled with heart and soul. It’s well worth a visit. I’m already looking forward to visiting again.

The collage below are my favorite photos from Liverpool, all taken by me.

creativity

The Joy of Small Things

Christa Avampato
The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson. Photo by Christa Avampato.

I bought the book The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson at Books on the Hill, a magical independent family-run bookstore in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, a perfect London suburb. My friend, Milly, took me there when I visited her because she knew I’d love it. She knows me well. 

The bookstore building was originally constructed in 1600, was once a tearoom and a furniture shop, and has a resident ghost who is a monk traveling from the cathedral in the secret tunnels running below the city where he does the flower arranging. The Books on the Hill family also has a dachshund named Fergus. I asked the bookstore team if I could move in. I think they’re considering it. (Honestly, was I switched at birth, and am I possibly their long-lost daughter?!)

Hannah’s book caught my eye because it’s about joy, my favorite topic, and it has a dachshund on the front who looks exactly like my dear Phineas, who passed away in January at the ripe old age of 14 1/2. Also, Nigella Lawson, who is an absolute queen, recommends it. Obviously, I loved every word. It’s a book of short pieces that Hannah wrote for The Guardian about everyday joys. One of the pieces is about her love for dachshunds. The topics are wonderfully varied from three-minute pop songs to local graffiti to trainers (for my American friends, these are sneakers) to cemeteries and dozens of others. (Again, is Hannah my long-lost family member, too?!) 

I read the book in tiny bits because I didn’t want it to end. Hannah is hilarious and thoughtful, and I’m sure we would be best friends if we knew each other. She’s also British, so the turn of phrase and spelling in this book are a joy for me and take me right back to St. Albans with Milly. 

I’ve long been a journal writer. On August 1st, I started a new practice: a daily spreadsheet (another one of my small joys) where I jot down what brought me joy each day. I set a calendar reminder at 9:30pm each night with the question, “What brought you joy today?” and I fill in the spreadsheet. It’s now part of my bedtime routine, and I love it. It’s become a joy in itself.

creativity

Sending letters to young people to encourage reading

Christa Avampato
https://emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/

One of my great joys is encouraging a love of books and reading among children and young people. I send cards and a small gift from Emerson (and her, dog, Friday) to young readers whenever I know someone who’s bought my Emerson Page books for them. Each one is unique. If you’d like Emerson and Friday to send one to a young person in your life who loves the books, let me know. Books continue to take me on adventures, and it’s a privilege for me to open up these new worlds for others and share some light. 💙