A postcard, a picture, a friend, and a vacation

I attended the University of Hawaii in Hilo (ハワイ大学ヒロ校) in Fall 1995. While there, I met a student from Japan named Yuko Takahashi (高橋有子). That's her on the right in the yukata (浴衣).
Although I moved to O`ahu for the following spring semester, Yuko was nice enough to send me a postcard from a ski resort near her hometown during Christmas vacation. I don't recall ever returning the favor, but I've held onto this postcard ever since.

I didn't realize it when I went on vacation this past December, but that's the place I took my family -- the area near Echigo-Yuzawa station (越後湯沢駅). We even stayed at the Yuzawa Ski House (湯沢スキハウス), which is right next to that cable car station.
Without realizing it, we even rode that cable car on our first day there -- the Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway (湯沢高原ロープウェイ). The picture of the view at the top looks very similar to the background in the postcard.

I have no idea where Yuko Takahashi is these days, but I hope she is well. If given the chance, I would tell her that Niigata Prefecture (新潟県) is a wonderful place.