Ocean currents
Ocean surface currents
You never know if the next person to find your bottle will live in the same state or in a different country. There is no telling where your message bottle will show up next. Currents, winds, tides and storms effect each bottle uniquely. It's path is very unpredictable. As you can see from the charts below, your message bottle could follow the coast or easily cross the ocean and be found on the shore of a different country.