These two strangers switched houses and recreated ‘The Holiday’
Boston’s Grace Gagnon wanted to recreate a holiday experience from one of her favorite movies, “The Holiday.”
In the 2006 movie, Cameron Diaz’s character is heartbroken and offers her L.A. home to Kate Winslet’s character, who has a charming cottage in England. In the end, both women fall for the other’s friends — finding love just in time for the holidays.
Much like film, Gagnon wanted to swap houses with someone in England, so she took her plea to the popular social media app, TikTok. Among the flood of comments, she got a response from Flo Patterson, from Bath, England, and things just felt “right.”
“It felt like I was talking to one of my friends here,” Gagnon told The Boston Globe. “It was just a gut feeling. We have so much in common.”
Our picks this week
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is your No. 1 source for things to do, see, make, buy and eat through the holidays. Here are our recommendations:
LISTEN: What’s on Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ holiday playlist?
DRINK: Here’s the holiday spirit Atlanta’s sipping this Christmas
DO: Seven places to show off your ice skating moves in and around Atlanta
VISIT: Full AJC holiday guide for things to do, buy and enjoy
For our full coverage of holiday events around metro Atlanta, check out the AJC’s Things to Do page.
While house swapping with a complete stranger might seem odd to most people, Gagnon and Patterson went through proper channels, using HomeExchange.com for professional coordination.
“My trip isn’t centered around falling in love — this is more just me living out an adventure,” Gagnon added. “If I happen to meet someone along the way, it’ll make everything even more exciting!” said Gagnon.
About the Author
Ebony Williams is a writer, indie producer and director, and journalist for a variety of magazine outlets. Her career has led her to create content for entertainment, sports, lifestyle, local breaking news and more.
