You are an author, entrusted with writing a whirlwind romance. You are given two characters: a seasoned traveler and a destination. Any place in the world that can be traveled to safely.

A deadline has been imposed on your romance: 48 hours. Use it wisely.

You have been conceded one allowance: time to decide what you want to do there and to plan it out in advance.

A quick break can be as fulfilling as a long holiday as long as you immerse yourself entirely. Plan the right things to do well enough and you will find that you can take much more frequent trips that span over a weekend (or a couple of weekdays). All you need are one or two nights and a lot of stamina.

Do not leave anything to chance. Every minute you spend wondering what to do next is a minute wasted. Forget the notion of “free time” and minimize the time you spend sleeping. If you want to laze about, stay at home on the couch or head down to a beach.

To make it you need to focus and to accept that you shall be forced to make some compromises in order to enjoy yourself. Miss out on the things that you would have visited just to tick boxes made by someone else. Life is not about their boxes; it is about yours.

If you love jazz, you have to choose a jazz club over the Empire State Building, no matter how many people will shake their head when you tell them you went to NYC and did not see it from 82 floors up.

You have the recipe. All you need are the ingredients. Choose a destination, a theme and a partner in crime. Plan meticulously and then elope; write your own 48-hour novel.

(#61 of 366 X 2012 project)