SIX hours overlay at San Juan Airport

I was at the MH airport, Dominica three hours early, hoping to make American Eagle plane on time and arrive at Chicago within six hours. A few things happened - I overslept and slept past 3:00am on Dec 18th. My landlord asked me if she had to wake me up early in the morning (which I call late at night), so that I could be there at airport smoothly. However, I declined thinking that I could pull it off myself. Talk about being independent on the island!! (Note to self, YOU NEED HELP). I tried to stay up til 3am by watching cable on TV. Then dozing of a bit, so I was like, "let me go to sleep for only one hour, wake up at 2am to make myself breakfast and ready for airport"..Guess what? I slept through my alarm and suddenly Alexis Taxi driver called at 3:38am. Shoot! I quickly closed all my luggages, removed my packed lunchbox from the fridge, wore my walking shoes, and placed my extra slippers in my carry-on & OFF I GO. After I locked my apartment, I looked around to see the van. There wasnt anyone out there on the street. Double shoot! I called in the driver and he said he would come by. What? where was he? I did not know how this worked. I was thinking the whole time that the driver picked me up and took me right away to airport (I was feeling guilty for leaving 3am as planned). Oh well, I would go with the flow. A few minutes later, the driver helped me put my luggages in his van and he drove around the Ross University to pick up more students (one was already in the van), this totaled four including me. I found out that students were 2nd semester. They were so smart to leave a day after their finals as there wasnt anything to do on the dreaded island. We were dropped off in front of the RUH and a bus was waiting. We got on there. We could see our luggages place on a pick-up truck (like the way I came to Ross University when I arrived for the first time on Aug 29th). Overall, the service wasnt bad. I was glad I booked my transport to airport with Alexis. 40EC = price. It was well worth it. Some waiting happened to have the bus fill. After one hour drive later, we were at the airport. One long line for LIAT and on right one short line for AMERICAN EAGLE. I did what I was supposed to do: pay airport tax, checked in/passed the security, and waited for 8am plane. Not like LIAT, I was in the waiting room within 30 mins. I got on the airplane, maybe ten minutes late, but overall AMERICAN EAGLE was better than LIAT. When arrived at San Juan, I found out that my next connecting flight was gonna leav in 10 mins, NOT ENOUGH TIME to go through line for US citizens, claim my luggages, check in again, and got on the flight to ORD. Triple shoot! I was left to be stuck in San Juan Airport for 6 hours. Whom was I to tell? No compensation for my trouble by Amerian Airlines? Oh well, what to do? Suck it up and see others going through the similar situation and make yourself feel about it.