In 2021, Erin Thumann, her sister, Ellie, and their mom planned a girls trip along the southeastern coast of the United States. “We wanted to visit all the Nicholas Sparks movie locations,” Thumann says. “My sister was filming a YouTube video, I was posting on my socials, and it was just so fun to show all of these different spots.” Eventually, they made their way to Charleston, South Carolina. Little did they know, as they explored the Colonial buildings and sandy coastlines, they weren’t just touring the city where The Notebook was filmed, but also their future home.