Exciting trip to Friday Harbor!
By Bella Sison
On Thursday, June 15, we had one of our most exciting outreach days yet - traveling to Friday Harbor! Izzy, Cindy, and I woke up early to head over to Kenmore, where Izzy and I were scheduled to travel by sea plane from Kenmore Air Harbor.
Our plane departed around 7:30am, and we flew to South Lake Union in Seattle then to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island before finally reaching our destination at Friday Harbor.
Izzy had the opportunity to take this trip last year as well, but it was my first time on a sea plane, and we both had an amazing time! The plane only held ten passengers, so we were able to see through the aisle and up to the pilot’s controls. The day was beautiful (albeit a little chilly), and we were both mesmerized by the views of the water and land below as we flew over Seattle and towards the island. It was incredible being able to watch our plane lift off and land on the water at each stop!
When we arrived at Friday Harbor, it was still only 9am, so Izzy and I took some time to explore the island before all the businesses opened. We visited the stores that were already open, and we were met with a lot of receptivity.
At one business, we met a worker who loved the idea of The Christian Science Monitor and was excited to accept a few copies of Monitor Weekly. She was unsure if they were able to accept a gift subscription, so she redirected us to her manager, who also liked the idea and accepted a subscription for the business! It was exciting to give out a subscription early in our day and to see such enthusiasm for our offer.
As the morning continued, we circled back through the town a few times, visiting more businesses each time as they opened. We found lots of receptivity and excitement for the Monitor. Out of the three businesses that had received gift subscriptions last year, all of them wanted their subscriptions renewed! One place was especially happy for the visit - the workers recognized the Monitor immediately and wanted a few more copies to put out for customers as well! In addition to these three renewed subscriptions and the new one, we found two more businesses that wanted gift subscriptions. Finding six businesses that wanted gift subscriptions was exciting for us, especially in a commercial area that wasn’t as large as some others we’ve visited. Besides the subscriptions, we found that most workers were quite friendly, and we found plenty who wanted sample copies.
After distributing most of our sample copies, we met up with Jennifer Rice, a member of the Christian Science Society in Friday Harbor who offered to give us a tour around the island. She drove us to a couple different public beach spots on the coast, where we were able to walk to the water and take in the beautiful sights! We also took a short walk to a lighthouse set on a small cliff, where we could look out across the water and see other islands in the distance. We could also see several mountain ranges, including one from Canada! It was so much fun to explore the beach areas, and the views were absolutely breathtaking.
Once Jennifer dropped us back off in the main area of the town, Izzy and I distributed our last few copies and then grabbed some ice cream and watched the water until our plane returned. It had gotten much sunnier throughout the day, and our flight back was just as gorgeous as the flight to the island.
Once we landed, we were greeted by Cindy and Greg Munro who had also been there to send us off in the morning. These two were the reason we were able to have this amazing experience, and we were both so grateful that they contributed so much to get it worked out.
With the amazing sea plane experience, the great receptivity of the town to the Monitor, and the incredible trip around the island with Jennifer, the day seemed like a dream come true. Izzy and I both had an outstanding time, and we felt so blessed to have the opportunity to participate in it. This was definitely one of the most exciting days of our summer!