An incredible journey has come full circle after a message in a bottle, written nearly 16 years ago by a Port Salerno Elementary student, washed ashore in St. Kitts, an island in the West Indies.
Connie Jaynes, who lives on St. Kitts, was walking on the beach one morning when she discovered the bottle. She initially thought the bottle had only been at sea for a brief time because there were no barnacles–it was in good condition overall. The note inside was still legible, and she was thrilled to read the student’s words about his teacher’s kindness.
After reaching out to the teacher, Mr. Tom Gannon, Ms. Jaynes was shocked to learn that the bottle had been out at sea for 16 years!
This Message in a Bottle project was started by longtime volunteers George and Nancy Marvin. They set approximately 150 bottles adrift on their voyages from Hobe Sound to the Bahamas on their boat, the Trumpeter. Over the years, bottles have turned up in Bermuda, France, and now—after the longest journey yet—St. Kitts.
The lesson of this story: you never know where you will land in this life, or how long it will take, so you must keep trying.
