(Credit: Netflix)

December may be long gone, but Netflix just carried forward the rom-com fever into the new year with an Emily Henry adaptation that viewers simply cannot stop buzzing about, People We Meet on Vacation.

In People We Meet on Vacation, we come across the unlikely long-distance best friends, free-spirited writer Poppy and reserved teacher Alex, who were originally classmates. But now, they’re each other’s travel buddies who visit a new destination every year. Although they first met each other on a shared road trip to their Ohio hometown, despite starting on the wrong foot, their friendship evolved into something that’s one for the books.

While they do have a major fallout on their Tuscany trip when they almost kiss, and Alex gets engaged the next morning, they finally get a shot at reconciliation when they reunite at Alex’s brother’s wedding in Spain. It might come as a surprise that Poppy shows up even though she has a work trip that week, considering her persistent reluctance to commitment.

Consequently, when Alex learns about the same, he cannot help but ask the reason behind it. The confrontation isn’t easy, and neither are the decisions that come with it. But do they finally end up together?

Are Poppy and Alex finally together?

Poppy and Alex get their long-awaited kiss when they reunite at the latter’s brother’s wedding in Spain in People We Meet on Vacation, despite their initial friction. They ultimately confess their true feelings for each other, but when Alex asks Poppy about their plans for the future, her hesitation to commit tears them apart once again. After Poppy returns to New York, it finally dawns upon her that her fear of commitment has actually snatched away the only person she truly cares about.

So, she takes the high road, hands over her resignation at the travel magazine, and takes off for Alex’s house in Ohio. True to its rom-com tropes, we can see Poppy dramatically chasing Alex down in the middle of a crosswalk to admit her feelings. Although scared that knowing who she is outside of their annual vacations would chase Alex away, she still takes the chance, even if it means changing her life.

Poppy might be wary of changes in her life. But by now, she has realised that regardless of the shifts, the one constant element in their relationship will always be each other. Hence, no matter where she finds herself, for her, home is where Alex is.

Meanwhile, Alex’s response to Poppy’s confession doesn’t disappoint, and the Netflix rom-com ends with them enjoying a glass of wine in their shared NYC apartment. The closing moments of People We Meet on Vacation also show them on a beach, vacationing as lovers now. It serves as a nod to the original book cover.

Speaking to Tudum of the end, Henry said, “I want viewers to feel that sense of home. I want them to be reminded that there’s no such thing as too much. As a person, you’re not too much, you’re not too little. It’s OK to be who you are. The only way to really have true love and intimacy is to let people see that full, messy version of you. That’s really scary, but I think it’s also the most rewarding, meaningful thing you can do in life.”