Emily stepped off the plane on the first and only adventure of her entire thirty-one years of life. Her marriage was officially over, and in the divorce, she had retained airline miles, and credit card reward points as well as a travel voucher, all from her husband's trips that were actually him cheating on her. The two kids were with her sister who had insisted she get out on her own for once in her life and experience the world. Iceland had always called to her, and in a spur of the moment decision she booked a week-long vacation.
The trip was all planned out by a travel agent who both knew the area as well as Emily's situation. The trip included a few excursions to various sights including the blue lagoon, and to see the northern lights but it mostly centered on the hotel and spa. Checking in Emily found that she was instantly drawn to the accent of the local population. It seemed English was widespread here as she had read, but the accent was music to her ears. The woman behind the front desk was just finishing a conversation with a younger blond woman in Icelandic before she turned to help her. Her smile was warm and genuine, making Emily feel welcome.
The room was more than Emily could have hoped for, with windows that looked out over the bay. There were lots of wood and stone visible in the room which was painted in warm earthy tones. It had been years since she had been this on her own and it felt both terrifying and exhilarating. Emily changed and headed to the restaurant for dinner. While being seated she saw the same younger blond that had been talking to the front desk woman. This time Emily felt like the woman was staring, her smile firm, but then she was gone, as the host sat Emily. During her dinner the waitress mentioned the hotel having not only a world class spa but swimming pool, a sauna and hot tub, all available at all hours. She went on to say that many guests found that a session in the sauna after dinner helped relax them. Emily felt she would have to try that.