Noah Ratzan's Photo

Verified Profile

  • Payment verified
  • Phone verified
  • Government ID not verified
  • Address Verified

Not Accepting Guests

  • Last login about 6 years ago

Join Couchsurfing to see Noah’s full profile.

Overview

  • 12 references 7 Confirmed & Positive
  • Fluent in English, Spanish; learning Chinese, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
  • 41, Male
  • Member since 2007
  • working and playing
  • B.A. from McGill University
  • No hometown listed
  • Profile 100% complete

About Me

CURRENT MISSION

Mission: what mission?

ABOUT ME

"The real voyage of discovery lies not in seeking new lands but in seeing with fresh eyes" - M. Proust

I've recently stumbled on a concise rule of principals:

Life is about

Clarity
Brevity, and
Simplicity

In that order.

I believe love is behavior, not an emotion, and I believe in stretching everyday to embody that more and more.

Give Joy, Give Hope, and be Patient.

Reveal Ignorance, Dismantle Hatred, and Conquer Fear.

Give it all away. Give it all you've got.

PHILOSOPHY

I live my life to explore, to give each moment its due, and to find beauty in the ordinary.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

In Quebec City, February of 2008, Yves Raymond invited a rotating crowd of 10 couchsurfers a night to stay in his home over the course of 4-5 days. That, to me, is a giving heart. He was a wonderful host and I was blessed to have such a positive start on the couchsurfing network.

Interests

Exploring, cooking, typography and graphic design, graffiti, social welfare, cinema, singing and soul, esoteric spirituality, popular spirituality, true philosophy, gardening, plants, good stories, and good humor.

There's more, but I'm basically interested in living and loving.

Music, Movies, and Books

Wabi sabi

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I ran into the Atlantic ocean with shorts on in January. I dove all the way under a couple times. It was nuts. I thought I might faint on my way out, running to shore with a headache, a nervous smile, and pins and needles in my blood. It seemed foolish in hindsight, but I jumped right in and the rest is history.

Teach, Learn, Share

Teach: I can teach you the basics of Vipassana.

Learn: I want to learn to live without want.

Share: I have a beautiful dream to share. I sometimes share it with friends. It goes like this.

I once dreamt of a dog that attacked me. The same dream happened over and over in the same night until I realized it was a dream, and when I noticed that, I realized I could do whatever I wanted. I made the dog disappear in mid-air, and I looked up and flew into the air. I flew up over a hill and over a still pool of inky black water reflecting the night sky. In the reflection of the pool, I saw my silhouette disappear into the night-sky and the lights of all the stars in the milky way was reflected beyond me. It was the most free I've ever felt, though it was only a dream. My wish is that everyone could be free in that way, at least for a day, or for a night.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Cooking, cleaning, and stories. That's a good start

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Paraguay, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Canada, United States

Old School Badges

  • 2 Vouches
  • Pioneer Badge

Join Couchsurfing to see Noah’s full profile.

My Groups