During the team town scavenger hunt, Sarah (my roommate) and I walked to the Ostan Charraig Art, or the Carrigart Hotel, to understand the town as a whole and the hotel’s situation inside it. Inside, we met Rosemary Boyce, the hotel’s general manager. She was gracious enough to give us a few minutes of her time. Though she spent her career moving between various cities, she says the hospitality industry in Carrigart is special to her because of its community. She highly values the fact that everyone knows each other, that everyone can rely on each other. That is something, she said, not as present in the United States. I can somewhat attest to that. We took our hunt down to Galanta Gifts, which sells artisanal Irish products, such as pottery and chocolate. Annette, the owner, alluded to the hardships she faces not only during the offseason, but also as a result of the rising presence of online shopping. Annette strongly encourages the use of cash as payment to offset transaction fees that come with credit cards. Her apprehension toward technology may well be an indicator of the town’s attitude, which we will explore over the next week. The gift shop and hotel are only two examples of Carrigart’s community, but I do think that I am growing to understand its “small town” energy. As an avid Gilmore Girls fan, I am drawing parallels between the Stars Hollow and Carrigart cultures.