When we got to the airport gate, I was quickly made aware of Adam's love of aviation. As a freelance writer, I’ve been lucky enough to travel extensively for work. Yet his knowledge of tier points, online flight deals and airline reward miles was overwhelming.

I heard a lot more about that particular topic when we inadvertently missed our connection to Zagreb through Frankfurt due to a late departure. The next flight wouldn’t be for six hours.

When we finally made it to the Croatian capital, a car service took us to a spectacular five-star hotel. We had booked two rooms, as per the guidelines on the Miss Travel website, and also because I would have felt very uncomfortable sharing a hotel room with someone I’d met just 10 hours earlier.

In the morning, we took a private city tour through Zagreb’s sprawling Old Town to the Museum of Broken Relationships, of all places, where jilted lovers from around the world submit artifacts and anecdotes. It was surprisingly poignant and certainly provided plenty to discuss. But the most uncomfortable moment was still to come: the hotel had also planned a romantic Valentine’s Day five-course tasting menu for two.

By this point, it had become clear nothing was going to happen between us, and that’s when the awkwardness really set in. Struggling for topics, and several glasses of wine deep, I showed him the extensive WhatsApp thread I had created to keep my friends updated on my whereabouts. It had quickly become a repository of Jesus-themed puns and biblical references (which, to his credit, he appreciated.)

I couldn’t resist addressing the elephant in the room, so I asked him what had motivated him to join Miss Travel in the first place. He admitted he was drunk when he initially signed up and, ultimately, had never paid the subscription fee. He also revealed he hadn't considered how odd the concept was overall... or, at least, he hadn't until I pointed it out.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what the guys on the site are like who have offered to pay for a stranger to come along on an exotic vacation in earnest.

"What happened when I flew to Croatia for a weekend date with a stranger"