Aahana Swrup
The Netflix rom-com ‘People We Meet on Vacation‘ charts a story about friendship, self-discovery, and a fateful life-changing bond. The film revolves around Poppy and Alex, best friends since college. The duo has struck a lifelong deal to take a vacation together every summer, regardless of what is happening in their lives. Although they manage to keep this pact healthy and alive for multiple years, things inevitably go south between the pair. Yet, all hope is not lost, as the two estranged friends find their way back to each other for one more trip, the future of their relationship hangs in a precarious balance. The story, which is told in a non-linear narrative, oscillates between the golden era of Poppy and Alex’s friendship and the devastating wake of their estrangement. Thus, by the time the story catches up to its climactic confrontation, the fate of the duo’s connection becomes more mercurial than ever. SPOILERS AHEAD!
People We Meet on Vacation Plot Synopsis
Although both Alex and Poppy hail from the same small town of Linfield, Ohio, their paths don’t cross until well into their college career. Since both students have the same plans of spending their summer vacation with their family back home, they inevitably end up sharing a car ride. Although the duo’s destination is the same, their personalities could not be more different. Poppy, who’s always up for an adventure, has an innate sense of chaos that is missing from the straight-laced Alex. Yet, despite their surface-level differences, the two end up bonding over the course of the road trip, which veers off plan in more than one way. As a result, by the time next summer rolls around, Alex and Poppy have become the best of friends and have planned another trip together, this time, as a camping vacation in the woods.
Since the trip is supposed to be a pick-me-up for Alex, whose relationship with his girlfriend, Sarah, just ended, Poppy encourages him to forgo the itinerary and embrace a more relaxed approach to vacationing. As a result, the two end up partying with an eclectic group, enjoying nature, casual flings, and a few risky maneuvers. One memorable skinny-dipping attempt lands the PhD-aspirant the nickname “Vacation Alex,” denoting his wild streak that comes out on the trip. Furthermore, after Poppy floats the idea of dropping out of college to begin an internship at a New York travel magazine, the two also come up with their pact of taking annual summer trips together for the years to come. As such, in the years that pass, the two friends continue coming together at least for a week every summer to take a vacation together. During this time, Alex remains entangled in his on-and-off relationship with his girlfriend, Sarah, while Poppy has her own romantic relationships, none of which seem to last too long.
With each new vacation, Poppy and Alex’s friendship only grows deeper. Somewhere between sightseeing and pretending to be newlyweds to score free desserts, the duo’s feelings for one another begin to grow as well. A pivotal moment happens in their relationship on what was supposed to be an epic vacation together, when Alex cancels an all-expenses-paid vacation to Norway to look after Poppy, who had untimely fallen ill. However, their otherwise easy relationship suffers a major blow on their trip to Tuscany, Italy. As one thing goes wrong after another, an unnamed tension causes significant friction in the duo’s relationship. As a result, they end up drifting apart, becoming entirely estranged in a few years. This fractured friendship ends up having an adverse effect on Poppy’s professional life, as she enters a rut in her writing, unable to conjure fascinating articles about vacations now that she has been relegated to an eternally solo traveler.
However, an opportunity presents itself when Poppy gets a phone call from David, Alex’s brother. As it turns out, the former is getting married to his fiancée, Nam, and wants the young writer at his wedding. Initially, she’s reluctant to RSVP yes to David’s invitation since things are so awkward between her and his brother. In fact, a work assignment on the same weekend is meant to take her to Santorini, which gives her a perfect excuse to skip the event. Yet, in a hasty phone call conversation with Alex, Poppy ends up telling him that she’ll be at the wedding. As it turns out, the writer is in need of closure more desperately than she had thought. For the same reason, she ends up pulling some strings at the R+R Magazine and manages to shift her assignment to Barcelona, allowing her to attend the destination wedding. Inevitably, as her path once again crosses with Alex, old wounds resurface, as do some unresolved feelings.
People We Meet on Vacation Ending: Do Alex and Poppy End Up Together?
Alex and Poppy’s relationship becomes a point of intrigue early on in their lives. A year into their friendship, when they go on their first official vacation together, the latter’s parents already have their suspicions about the nature of their connection. Thus, it isn’t unusual for people to assume their bond might go beyond the platonic upon initially meeting them. Nonetheless, for the longest time, their dynamic remains entirely platonic. Even when they find themselves in tried and tested tropes, like finding only one bed at a motel or pretending to be a couple at cafes and bars, they never really cross any lines in their strictly friends-only relationship. Still, despite their unwillingness to address it, a layer of chemistry and romantic tension remains between them. This is prominent in the other platonic intimacies they share, as well as their bad track records in their respective love lives.
However, all of this changes in Tuscany. A series of events leads to an almost kiss, which does immeasurable damage to the duo’s connection. Poppy remains hesitant to explore the reality behind the kiss that never was, which only compels Alex to further distance himself from her. In fact, he ends up proposing to his girlfriend, Sarah, the same morning that he establishes the end of their vacationing tradition. This sends the two down diverging paths, where they enter a no-contact phase for almost two years. That is, until David’s wedding inevitably brings them back to the same city. As they collide into each other at the airport, their reunion gets off on a quick and early start. As Ales offers to fix her hotel room’s busted AC and ends up pulling his back, the two find the time to reminisce about their past and get back on somewhat of the same page. Yet, it isn’t until David’s rehearsal dinner that Alex and Poppy finally confront the invasive elephant in their relationship.
Thanks to David, Poppy has learned about the apparent end of Alex and Sarah’s relationship, this time for good. As a result, she can’t help but wonder if she’s the reason behind their separation. Furthermore, she’s desperate to go back to how things were between her and her best friend before Tuscany ruined everything for them. Nonetheless, in the confrontation that follows, Alex reveals something that addresses both of Poppy’s concerns. The reason he couldn’t make things work with Sarah was indeed because of the other woman, because deep down, she’s the only one he has ever been in love with. Moreover, it’s the same reason why he couldn’t allow things to go back to how they were before Tuscany. Initially, the revelation hits Poppy like a freight train, leading her toward feelings of guilt for ruining their friendship. Still, the truth remains that Alex isn’t entirely alone in his feelings.
Even though she never wanted to admit it, Poppy has also been in love with her best friend, probably forever now. However, her own insecurities about being too much to handle prevented her from ever seeking anything romantic out of their dynamic. Naturally, this rain-soaked confrontation results in the two friends finally acting on their feelings and spending the night together. Even so, things aren’t magically healed between them the next morning. This becomes apparent when Alex attempts to talk about their future at David’s reception, only for Poppy to become cagey and unsure once again. It’s no secret that the duo are entirely different people, with contrasting wants and desires. Where Alex loves his hometown and wants to build a foundation there, Poppy is a free spirit who feels trapped in Linfield. She has built a life around constant jetsetting and little homecoming.
Therefore, it’s difficult for the travel writer to conceive of a future wherein she would be putting down roots with a serious relationship. However, Alex can’t help but feel rejected by her reluctance to discuss their future. Even though he knows that the love between them is real, he also knows they can’t build a life together without commitment—something his best friend has been afraid of forever. As a result, he ends up leaving, asserting that the two could never have a future together. Nonetheless, once back in New York to her sad and lonely apartment, Poppy makes up her mind. In the end, she ends up flying home to Linfield and chasing Alex down to show him that she’s ready to make the commitment, refusing to let her doubts and insecurities hold her back anymore. She may not know everything she wants from life, but she knows that she wants Alex beside her in it. Ultimately, the couple finally comes together, beginning the start of a beautiful relationship.
Do Alex and Poppy Stay in Linfield?
One of the points of contention in Alex and Poppy’s relationship stems from the difference in their approaches to the future. Where the travel writer wants the freedom and excitement of no tethers, the former is much more comfortable in a reliable foundation. Simply put, Poppy is eternally chasing after a thrilling vacation while Alex enjoys having somewhere to return home to at the end of a life-changing trip. Yet, despite their differences, neither is truly satisfied on opposite ends of the scale. Even though Alex wants comfort and reliability in his life, he also wants adventure and novelty, which can only be found outside of his small hometown. Likewise, Poppy’s perpetual thrill-chasing has rendered her unmoored, where she can no longer enjoy her life’s purpose.
Instead of new and fascinating experiences, every vacation has become a lonesome burden, and every homecoming is a reminder of her depressing isolation. While visiting new places and meeting new people have their advantages, it also makes it impossible for Poppy to ever actually make any meaningful and long-lasting connections. Once she returns to New York from Davis’ wedding, she comes to the same conclusion. For the same reason, she ends up resigning from R+R, eager to start a new chapter in her life. Fortunately, she won’t have to tackle this daunting future of endless possibilities alone. She and Alex end up moving together in New York, overseeing a brand new beginning together. Ultimately, instead of Linfield, the couple meets somewhere in the middle, building a reliable home together in New York and continuing to chase after exciting new adventures.
What Happened Between Alex and Poppy in Tuscany?
Throughout Alex and Poppy’s friendship, a few of their vacations together become notable checkpoints in their life and interpersonal dynamic. Their trip to Sqaumish is important because it establishes their pact, and Norway marks a moving development in their relationship. However, Tuscany, the last trip they take together before their estrangement, proves to be the most influential of them all. This trip was the first time that Poppy and Alex both decided to bring their significant others along with them. Naturally, this changes the dynamic of their “Vacation selves,” adding uncomfortable and awkward friction between them. Nevertheless, the defining incident happens after Poppy gets a brief pregnancy scare.
Instead of telling her boyfriend, Trey, Poppy reaches out to her best friend for comfort and help in dealing with the situation. Things go smoothly enough in the beginning as Alex helps her get a pregnancy test and waits for her to see the result. After the test comes back negative, Poppy is relieved and overwhelmed by the emotional rollercoaster she has just been on. As a result, with emotions running high, she ends up trying to kiss her best friend. Consequently, the long-ignored tension in their friendship finally comes out. Even so, Poppy remains scared to examine the consequences of the almost kiss, insisting that it was only a mistake. This infuriated Alex, who could no longer ignore the reality of his feelings for his friend. Consequently, in an attempt to move on from her, he ends up proposing to Sarah. This leads to an argument that sends the two friends apart for many months to come.
Read More: Where Was People We Meet on Vacation Filmed? All Shooting Locations
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