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Why a Utah family was shocked by a photo they found in their California Airbnb

The Birrell family, from West Jordan, was vacationing in San Diego.

(Aubrey Birrell) A photograph in a San Diego Airbnb that features three members of the Birrell family 10-12 years prior at a beach.

(Aubrey Birrell) A photograph in a San Diego Airbnb that features three members of the Birrell family 10-12 years prior at a beach.

Two hours into a Utah family’s trip to San Diego, they realized members of the family had been at an Airbnb long before they got there.

Aubrey Birrell’s family recently visited California to celebrate her grandfather’s 80th birthday. While unpacking, they came across a piece of art on the wall that might seem unremarkable in a California Airbnb: an aerial photograph of people on a beach and in the ocean.

Birrell’s father, Christopher, looked at the photograph and made a joke about how a man in the water was him — since he loves the ocean. But, as Birrell took a closer look, she realized the man in the photo actually was her father, and her sister Libby and brother Brady were nearby, too.

“First when I saw it, I was like, ‘What in the world? Like that is so creepy,’” Birrell, 26, said. “After that, the whole time we would just walk past that picture, and I would have to stare at it every time.’

@aubsbirrell

We can’t make this up….. this is the craziest thing 😭 @libby_birrell #fyp #sandiego #creepy #tf

♬ Blue Danube Waltz - The London Symphony Orchestra

Her aunt, who booked the Airbnb, reached out to the host, who told them that the property’s decorator was a famous local photographer who uses their aerial shots to help decorate rentals.

(Aubrey Birrell) The photograph the Birrell family came across in their San Diego Airbnb, which features three members of the family 10-12 years ago.

The Birrells believe the photo was from a trip about a decade ago. Birrell’s brother used to have soccer competitions in the area, so the family usually made a trip out of it.

The family is working on getting their own copy of the photo. They even recreated the photo.

@aubsbirrell

Meet the three in the picture on our AIRBNB wall !!!! 🫣👀😂 @libby_birrell @Brady Birrell #fyp #airbnbsandiego #california #pineviewreservoir #recreate

♬ original sound - Deo M. Divinagracia - RetroSibs 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭

“It’s just so weird that we even chose to like spend our time looking at that picture too, because there were so many canvases in the Airbnb, and for some weird reason, we found us,” Birrell said.

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