Christa is one of the earliest bloggy friends I made.
I found her simply by searching for blogs relating to New York, as it is a dream to get there one day. (My sis & family will be there next month!! Jealous!)
So I tracked down Christa and found that not only does this gal live in the insomniac city that fills my Carrie Bradshaw inspired dreams, but she is an incredible gal leading an extraordinary life.
You must meet her:
Who is Christa Avampato?
By day, I make my living as a new product developer working on cool technology projects like mobile phone apps and social media.
By night and on the weekends, I am a freelance writer, yoga instructor in-training, avid runner, foodie, and world traveler.
I live a highly-caffeinated life, love a good adventure, and never met a dessert I didn’t like.
I consider people-watching a high art and practice it often.
I’m in the process of getting my vinyasa yoga teacher certification, and I’d like to develop a business that combines yoga with my product development background.
I recently returned from Costa Rica and am currently deciding on my next international adventure. I volunteer regularly, particularly with organizations that focus on public education.
I used to have this list of material things.
Then this fall there was a fire in my apartment building and I lost almost all of my belongings. And I’m fine. It was an incredible lesson and taught me that the important things in life aren’t things. My friends and my family are the most precious parts of my life.
Where do you live and why do you love it?
New York City is Neverland. Here you can be whoever you want to be. It really is a place where every childhood dream has the possibility of being brought to life. New York and I have been involved in a tangled love affair for over 10 years. There’s a magic about this place. I’m not really sure that I could live anywhere else full-time.
What would you do differently if you knew no-body would judge you?
I would have gone to art school and gotten trained as an industrial designer. I got to design in a very circuitous manner. I wish I’d taken a more direct route. We are now living in an age when bad design is not longer acceptable, thank goodness.
If you had the opportunity to get a message out to a large group of people, what would your message be?
I think kindness is the most powerful sentiment on the planet. It breeds justice and concern and lightens the load for all of us. Every religion comes down to one universal truth and action – kindness. And it’s within everyone’s ability to be kind. Age, creed, race, gender have no bearing on our ability to be kind. We don’t need any kind of special degree or experience. It doesn’t matter where we’ve been, where we live, or where we’re going. Kindness is an act that can be practiced by everyone.
When was the last time you tried something new?
Oh goodness, I live my life outside of any kind of comfort zone. I’m always out there doing something new that I’m not quite sure I can do. And there’s a real power in being able to improvise and think on the fly. It’s an under-rated skill. Next week I’m interviewing to teach a semester-long class on social media, which is a personal and professional passion of mine. But I’ve never taught a semester-long class on it at a university. I’m hoping I get the opportunity to take on this challenge.
What makes you laugh the most?
My friends. They’re hilarious and generous and keep me going. My two year old niece, Lorelei, is a real comedian, too. She’s currently taking up golf and gardening, and thinks she’s an expert. She cracks me up.
How do you keep your grass green?
I spend some time alone every day. I keep a list of roses and thorns – the very best and the very worst thing that happens to me. And I keep writing on my blog every day which is a wonderful lens to use to look at the world. Because I approach every experience as a writer, I can’t get discouraged to often. The good and the bad are all great material.
Do you love and what are you doing about it?
I think every person, everywhere has the right to be free.
I’d like my yoga teaching to work toward that effort so this yoga teacher training is not only something that’s good for me, but something that I hope is good for the world, too.
What change are YOU being in the world?
I’m showing up to every moment in my life with an open heart.
I’ve decided that no matter where I am and what I’m doing, I can be a student.
You can visit Christa and her extraordinary blog here
2 Comments
Hi Christa! I love your philopsophy of showing up to every moment in your life with an open heart. Thanks for reminding me about why writing is important for decoding and reframing experiences. Loved your interview- Great questions Sharni!
Hi Heather! Thanks so much for your comment. I just hopped over to your site and love it. I signed up for the RSS feed. Where are you doing your graduate work?