I house swapped with a stranger I met on social media and got a New York holiday for free
ONE Brit has lived out a real life version of The Holiday after swapping homes with a complete stranger she met on TikTok.
After spotting a video by New York native Lohanny Santos – who was looking for someone abroad to exchange homes for a trip – Marie Draxler from London jumped at the idea.
After reaching out, Marie instantly hit it off with Lohanny, with the duo having a number of friendly chats and a Zoom call.
Eventually, the two decided to go for it and booked flights at the same time.
Since her trip, Marie has posted about her real-life The Holiday experience and of course, the clip quickly racked up millions of views.
When Marie visited New York, she visited the city’s main sites, including the parks.
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She also tried out many Big Apple classic eats.
Marie said the swap felt straight out of The Holiday, just without the unexpected romance.
She said: “I just wandered all over Manhattan truly enjoying the best the city had to offer.
“We both created a list of recommendations – from cafés to cute boutiques – and we both checked out those recommendations and truly lived like the other.
“New York always has and always will hold a special place in my heart.
“This city has always inspired and motivated me on a whole new level.
“I’m so grateful I got to experience this trip and truly lived like a local.”
Many viewers also flocked to the comments sharing their thoughts.
One person said: “It’s literally The Holiday in real life.”
Another added: “The Holiday is my favourite movie, can’t believe I’m seeing it in real life!”
Someone even joked: “Make sure she doesn’t have a brother!”, referencing Jude Law’s famous character from the film.
And a number of viewers have even been inspired to try swapping homes for themselves.
One person said: “If anyone wants to switch and stay in San Diego, let me know!”
Marie added in one of her videos: “I’m so happy. I am just in this little bliss bubble and I’m just so grateful for this whole swap and us doing this and me being here and just living this crazy adventure.”
Lohanny, who is from Brooklyn, got to experience London from Marie’s cosy flat in Notting Hill whilst Marie was in New York.
During the time each of the women were in the others’ flat, they stayed in touch as well, sharing recommendations and discovering each other’s adventures.
Another woman has done similar – swapping her tiny UK flat for holidays in homes all over the world from California to Paris – it has saved her thousands.
Plus, a couple has also shared their experience of saving £150,000 over the last decade on holidays.