When it comes to travel planning, I’m a control freak. I book flights based on aircraft type and seat availability, overanalyze hotel reviews, know exactly what I’m going to eat or drink before ever setting foot in a restaurant, and capture every last detail in a lengthy Google document. So, when I recently had the opportunity to take a surprise trip — with nary a decision made by me — I was a little skeptical. The thought of relinquishing my travel fate to someone else gives me the shakes. However, a tiny part of me was curious about what would happen if I let go, so Type A personality be damned, I decided to face my inner planner head-on and head out on an unknown solo getaway.

Mystery travel is increasingly popular, partly because it’s a clever response to the decision fatigue and over-curation plaguing travelers like me. Those who embark on surprise trips are forced to embrace spontaneity — whether they like it or not. My experience was a collaboration between YOTEL, a global hotel group catering to modern, tech-savvy and efficiency-focused travelers, and travel agency Pack Up + Go, whose founder Lillian Rafson told me while the average age of travelers is 42, the demographic runs the gamut from families looking for quality time together to busy parents who don’t have time for the details to adventure-seeing retirees. And, she told me, the benefits extend beyond the surprise element.

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“All of the research is done, from selecting hotels, to making dinner reservations, to curating a destination guide with the best things to see, do, and eat, to our 24/7 support in case of flight cancellations,” Rafson said. “We want a Pack Up + Go trip to be the easiest and most exciting trip you ever take.”

Time to find out.

The first step was completing an online questionnaire with my preference for a plane or road trip, outdoors-focused or not, and my interests and hobbies (yes to fine dining, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, cocktails, wine, live music and quirky attractions, please). While travelers can select their budget, departure date, number of nights, dietary restrictions and overall trip vibe — action, relaxation or culture — they can’t specify an airline or specific destination. It’s a first-world problem, but since I have top-tier airline status, not selecting my usual seat in the exit row or gauging my upgrade chances felt frustrating; luckily, they broke the rules and booked me on United Airlines.

The week before I left, I received an email with basic weather and packing info, and a thick envelope stuffed with all the other details. Was I supposed to wait until the day before departing to check the section marked “No Peeking”? Yes, I was. Did I peek a few days earlier? Yes, I did, mainly to get a decent seat assignment.

I was tickled to discover I’d be escaping an unusually frigid Washington, D.C., winter for Miami. The packet contained info about the inclusions, as well as other suggested attractions, restaurants and bars, and gift cards with QR codes to use toward my meals. Having often traveled to Miami, I knew the included amounts wouldn’t go far. Rafson told me while a mystery trip is guaranteed to cover round-trip airfare (or valet parking for road trips), accommodations, 24/7 traveler support and at least one pre-planned activity, other add-ons vary depending on the budget, including meals and an Uber gift card. Still, considering my experience was priced at $2,500 for two nights and I noted an interest in all things culinary, I hadn’t expected to cover the bulk of my meals out of pocket.

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Once on the ground in Miami, I took an Uber to the home base for my two-night adventure. YOTEL Miami is centrally located in the city’s pedestrian-friendly Urban Core. Vela Miami, the hotel’s ground-floor, all-day restaurant and bar, was buzzing throughout my stay, and there was also a rooftop pool and bar. My room was decked out in the brand’s signature purple, and while it wasn’t huge, it was well thought-out, with a freestanding clothing rack, separate toilet and shower box-like rooms, smart tech and lighting and an adjustable mattress, which was an unexpected touch and perfect for writing in bed. I didn’t have time, but a stay also included two daily beach chairs in South Beach.

That evening, I dined in Little Havana at lively Cafe La Trova, renowned for its live music and highly skilled bartenders trained in Cuba’s Cantanero culture. Since I arrived during happy hour and sat at the bar, not only did I get to watch the shaking and stirring up close, I also stretched my gift card with half-price mojitos, croquetas and suckling pig sliders.

The next day, I returned to Little Havana for a walking food tour, during which we learned about the area’s food culture while noshing on empanadas, Cubanos and flaky guava pastelitos. That evening, I left YOTEL and walked across the causeway via drawbridge to Brickell for dinner at Motek. The following morning, I strolled around the streets of Wynwood to take in the ever-evolving street art before popping in for brunch and day drinking at another Mediterranean-focused restaurant, Doya.

Before I knew it, I was headed back to the airport, pondering the merits and trade-offs of this type of travel. It was undeniably fun, and much of the itinerary aligned with my interests, but I found myself questioning some of the planning choices. Namely why, in a city brimming with distinct neighborhoods, I was routed back to the same one twice, and why two of my meals leaned so closely into similar cuisine. I also wondered about the overall value. As a frequent traveler, I felt like I could have easily pieced together something similar. But then again, that’s not really the point. Rafson later shared if something doesn’t quite land, the Traveler Support Team will try to adjust plans, but, in practice, there’s limited flexibility once the trip is underway.

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While the experience didn’t fundamentally change how I’ll plan my travels going forward, it did remind me of the quiet thrill that comes from allowing a destination to unfold rather than be meticulously engineered. For travelers willing to trade precision for surprise, the payoff isn’t perfection, but perspective.