This trip was originally a solo trip to Sapporo that I had planned to celebrate the end of the school semester. However, a week before departure, I mentioned it to my mom, and she said she really wanted to go then too and asked if we could go together. So, I quickly booked an extra spot for the bus tour, hastily prepared, and off we went. I've been on a few bus tours before, and honestly, I've always just used guided tours as a means of transportation to suburban destinations I wanted to visit. But after meeting our guide, Ire, today, my perspective changed a bit. I usually prefer to interpret trips through my own lens and never really liked listening to explanations about places. However, when I heard the guide say, "I can't change the lens of your vision, but I can help you focus it," I started listening intently to the explanations. I began to reflect on what kind of perspective I've been taking when visiting places. To be honest, a big reason I signed up was to take photos, but before I knew it, I was on a trip where I was absorbing the impressions each stop gave me. The two-shot photo the guide took of my mom and me made my mom so happy that it made me happy too. We also got into Junpei, a restaurant in Biei town, smoothly without any waiting, and the conversation I had with the owner at the recommended cafe was so warm and pleasant. Although I was tired from waking up early, I laughed a lot thanks to the guide's infectious, happy laughter. Thank you! Congratulations on your marriage!