About Me

Hi, I’m Violeta Matei and travel is one of my favorite things. In March 2005 I quit the corporate life and never looked back. While I understand the value of relaxing and unwinding, I believe that travel should be experiential. Travel has the power to enrich you and to make you a better person.

I’m on a mission to show you the world through my own experiences.

How It All Began

I quit my job to become a personal development trainer.Little did I know that was never going to happen!

While searching for information for one of my open training programs, I discovered one could make money by displaying ads on a website. My first two blogs earned me about $70 within their first month of existence. I was in awe, so I just decided I was going to be a full time internet marketer and forget about everything else that could have earned me a living.

Since 2006 I’ve been making a living online. I run a few websites, I do web development, I travel, I write and I cook. You can find some of my recipes on my Romanian website, Culinare.net.

What Is VioletaMatei.com About

I enjoy sharing my travel stories as much as I enjoyed living them. My purpose is to inspire you to choose experiences over doing nothing by the pool, on a beach or in a luxury resort.

A while ago, I asked one of my friends who had just returned from Belek, Turkey, how was the town. She said she had seen nothing, as they never left the five-star resort for their entire stay!

I don’t travel all year round, nor do I want to become a digital nomad or a backpacker. My main home base is in Bucharest, Romania. I also lived in Crete and in Portugal for a short while.

I never slept in a tent. When I fly, I travel with a small suitcase. When I go on road trips, I take as much as I can fit inside my car.

Packing my bags for a trip consists of two main parts:

  1. Put all “absolutely necessary” items inside the bags
  2. Start taking them away, one by one

When there’s nothing left to take away, I know I’ve reached perfection.

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
(Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

My travels range between a few days to a few months. When I fall in love with a place, I usually return.

What’s in This for You

Violeta Matei - Bringing the world closer to you

Photo by Sebastian Enache and Revista Avantaje

Through my travel experiences, I bring the world closer to you.

Follow me and you’ll feel places you never knew existed. I’ll give you new ideas for your trips.

I’ll make you want to be there!