Bio

Prepare for CrossCheck is a site about travel, food, drink, lifestyle items, photography, philanthropy and whatever other topics grab my interest, the “my” being Donna M. Airoldi.

I’ve been covering the travel industry for 10 years, first as a business journalist for Nielsen Business Media then as the founding editorial director for the travel-planning Web site TravelMuse.com. Prior to my career in journalism, I held various marketing and development jobs (including Thomas Cook Group, Accenture, New York University and RJR Nabisco), where I wrote and edited just about any type of business communication you can think of, from legal contracts and annual reports to CEO speeches and press releases. I had also planned special events, from small cocktail receptions to major galas, featuring international presidents, prime ministers, business icons and celebrities.

What prompted the switch?

After my last corporate job, I took off alone on a nearly yearlong backpacking adventure in Nepal and Southeast Asia—which featured three of my all-time favorite experiences: trekking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal; taking a slow boat two days down the Mekong River from the Thailand boarder to Luang Prabang, Laos; and spending a week of intensive meditation studies while living with the monks and nuns in a Buddhist temple in Bangkok.

My goal for that trip was simply to figure out “what I wanted to do when I grew up.” Even though I had always wanted to be a writer, I had a business degree and felt I had to use it. Plus I didn’t think I could earn a decent living as a writer.  (Yeah, I’m still laughing about that one too.)  But after reading essays from my travels, journalist friends and writing teachers strongly encouraged me to pursue it. I sold my first article three months after I returned from Asia; I haven’t looked back since.

What’s with the title?

It’s an airline term you often hear for flight attendants. Cross-check basically means making sure the doors on the plane are closed and “armed” with an escape slide for emergencies, and that it’s all been checked by another attendant before takeoff and landing—being prepared for whatever may come next on the journey is how I like to interpret it. In writing it means verifying your sources, which can help ensure you’re not writing out of your ass. There also are references in hockey, chess, technology and business, but those don’t necessarily apply here.

What’s next?

I’m currently a contract writer and newsletter manager for my former employer, Incentive magazine (now part of Northstar Travel Media), and a New York City reporter for HelloMetro.com. I also contribute articles to other publications whenever possible and occasionally get hired to write materials for businesses and individuals. Travel still rules my life however. During the past year I visited Singapore, Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, India, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cooperstown, N.Y., and spent a month in China. Next up: Thailand, Ixtapa (Mexico), Spain and Morocco (the latter two for my honeymoon!).

My favorite adventures occur when I’m on an extended solo journey, slowly exploring a destination’s culture and cuisine for a few months. If I can also enjoy single malt scotch along the way, that’s a happy bonus.