We got up at 3:30 AM for nothing.

The night before leaving, we were buzzing with excitement, practically tasting the ocean air and counting down the hours until our flight. The alarm was set for 3:30 AM, and by 3:45 we were out the door. With all the humans and small creatures loaded into the car, I navigated the dark roads toward the airport in Wisconsin. We hauled our bags to the check-in counter, hearts racing with anticipation. Forty-five minutes later, our excitement collapsed into confusion and disappointment: we were denied entry. The airline had overbooked the flight, and there wasn’t room for us. We stood there—tired, stunned, and a little devastated. But then, we hatched a plan…

Navigating to the Airport