I decided a few months ago that I was going to treat myself to a 4-day getaway from Los Angeles and visit Chicago. I got a free airplane ticket, but had to pay the hotel in cash, which I  really couldn't afford. I found a travel website where a discounted 3-night stay was purchased from a recently opened hotel. About three weeks before the trip, I had to regretfully cancel and only then realized the room, while transferable   to another person, couldn't be changed to a later date and wasn't refundable. For the next two weeks I tried selling it on Craig's list with no success. Five days before the "big weekend", I gave up trying to get any money back and decided I'd contact some acquaintances who live in Chicago and offer someone a free "staycation". After trying a handful of people all of whom already had their own plans, I was determined to have the room not go to waste. That's when it suddenly occurred to me that I was looking at the rooms in the wrong way. Instead of viewing them for vacation purposes, surely there must be a way to put them to good use, and that was when the idea that some sort of shelter might be able to use it. I eventually found one whose focus is aiding victims of domestic violence. This particular one was willing to listen to my out-of-left-field story and made it easier to transfer the rooms. The shelter was working with a desperate woman and her daughter, who were fortunately able to make use of the room. I was later told by the shelter " _ ". What happened to his plan three weeks before the trip?
The room reservation was canceled. The author couldn't make the trip. The hotel was no longer available. The author regretted making the plan.