Hi,

My name is Christian Welling. When I graduated college, I tried to become a travel vlogger on snapchat. I spent 1.5 years traveling across Europe and Asia until I ran out of money and made a career pivot (lol).

I still love traveling and have been fortunate to travel to over half of the US, much of Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Central America, and a few countries in Asia.

I've spent around half of my career as an engineer (mechanical, software, and robotics) working in fields ranging from automotive and aerospace to medical diagnostics. I've also walked away from certainty a second time when I founded my last startup.

For me traveling is more than seeing a new place. It is immersing yourself in a new culture, going outside of your comfort zone, and creating bonds with amazing people from all over.

I believe success is only meaningful when shared and I share that belief with when I explore the world.

While I don't have references on CS yet, this is my LinkedIn if you need additional vetting of who I am: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianwelling/

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Nothing beats staying with someone when leaving home. Change my mind.

Interests

• backpacking
• camping
• history
• hosting
• learning languages
• nba
• roadtrips
• esports
• hot springs
• mahjong
• costco
• taking bad photos
• wine podcasting
• vibe coding
• experimenting when i cook

Music, Movies, and Books

2026:
Think I wrote this 8 years ago, but I shall leave my opinions as is

2018:
I listen to a large variety of music, but if I had to pick some genres: Dance Pop, Hip Hop, Reggaeton, and House.

Movies...lets see: Anything by Guillermo del Toro, Quentin Tarantino, or Christopher Nolan; Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Gone Girl, Spirited Away,... there are lots. Ask me in person.

TV shows: lots, but i really like, Top Gear (former)/Grand Tour (now), True Detective, Game of Thrones, West World...again, lots.

Books: Anything by Dan Brown, The Kind Worth Killing, Ready Player One, The Snowman. I'm trying to read more, promise.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Started a company, pivoted my company, then left the company I started.

Teach, Learn, Share

2026:
22 year old me wrote the following:

2018:
I am an avid learner. My background is in design (mechanical engineering) as well as autonomous vehicle development (software mainly), but I know lots of things. I'm up to date in politics, pop culture, and know people from all over the world. I have lots of stories to tell.

Always looking forward to sharing what I know with others and learning something new. "

Turns out, 20 year old me was right.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I will cook you food AND (and), I will buy you drink AND, I will drink with you.

I'll also ask you a ton of questions and want to learn about you.

You can ask me about education in the US, the tech space (very locked in) -- as an investor + operator, my time being a founder, best places to visit when you come to California (I have the best options, here).

Hopefully, we can become friends, and I can host you in the future!

Countries I’ve Visited

England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan

Countries I’ve Lived In

Denmark, United States