A few days ago I was shut inside my cozy apartment, working away, blocking out the cold. After an afternoon of intense work, I took a break and made some tea. Tazo Cucumber White Tea – a new flavor for me. I turned the box in my fingers and on the back found the steps to brewing a perfect cup of tea:
Step 1: Bring some fresh filtered water to a boil.
Step 2: For hot tea, place one Tazo filterbag in your cup, mug, or gourd.
Step 3: Pour 8 fl oz of water over the filterbag.
Step 4: Steep for 3 minutes while contemplating your favorite eternal mysteries.
I smiled when I read step 4 and started to walk away from the cup of steeping tea, back to my computer. And then I stopped, mid-step. “I have 3 minutes,” I thought. “What are my favorite eternal mysteries?” I jotted these down:
Why does love take it’s time to find some of us?
Why does the world work in mysterious ways?
Why does beauty take so many forms, and how come beauty is not always readily apparent to the eye?
How do we heal? And when and why?
Why are we able to forget that which hurts us while finding it nearly impossible to forget that which brings us joy?
And then I started imagining pieces of art like those of Brian Andreas: powerful, magical statements accompanied by an illustration that brings those statements to life. I’m not sure if there are any answers to eternal mysteries, but I am glad I took the 3 minutes to think about them, to jot them down. I don’t know if there are any answers to questions like these, but I do think they might make some beautiful art. I do think that they keep us reaching, and in the end, that’s what matters most.
The image above is not my own. I can be found here.
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/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
A few days ago I was shut inside my cozy apartment, working away, blocking out the cold. After an afternoon of intense work, I took a break and made some tea. Tazo Cucumber White Tea – a new flavor for me. I turned the box in my fingers and on the back found the steps to brewing a perfect cup of tea:
aaaahhhhh. these are questions that live and breathe. these are questions worth living.
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Thanks, Jeanne. I think so, too. These questions are the ones worth living. Would you add any to the list of your favorites?
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I was already smiling before I got to step four, because I think it’s funny that they suggest drinking tea out of a gourd. Your eternal mysteries resonate with me — things that I have, or think are worth, contemplating. But the eternal mystery that’s on my mind at the moment: Why don’t I have any drinking gourds at my house? Enjoyed your post – Thanks.
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That’s so funny – I thought the same thing when I read that line. I want some drinking gourds of my own! Just subscribed to your blog and Twitter feed. Look forward to reading both!
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I’ll be gourd shopping today;)
Great post and thoughtful “eternal mysteries.” It’s funny because yesterday, getting a haircut, I heard a man at the chair over who was speaking something about “cellular levels” and super-power microscopes and how when you get into it, way into it…it’s just empty space. So, I guess that’s what I’m contemplating.
I also read your “about me,” kudos on already having completed a year of posts on “Hope.” I like your blog & will return!
~Bonnie
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Thanks so much, Bonnie. I love that thought about everything really being empty space. What a beautiful image. I’m going to check out your blog as well!
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Hi ya Christa!
You have no idea what a joy it is to read your blog.
This one, in particular, resonated with me. Very touching.
However, allow me to play the devil’s advocate. Search within your own self for the love you seek outside of your self. That’s why meditation (the journey within) is such a miracle: it has the power to heal you. It seems you are still struggling with issues from the past. There is no better way than meditation. I hope you will consider making this a daily habit. Meditation has changed my life, to be sure.
And you have mentioned art, beauty, mystery. Well, look no further. Check out Maria Brophy’s wonderful blog and kindly consider reading my poem: it is a guest post.
I hope my poem inspires you and you enjoy reading it. This is my small contribution to your fabulous life. Thanks.
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Archan! Thank you so much. I love your reflections on meditation. I can’t wait to check out your guest post!
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