RE LOG Spring '25

24 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2025 By Noelle Dubose ’28 The morning of January 8, 2025, came faster than I expected. When I came to Ransom Everglades as a new student in middle school, I remember hearing about the annual ninth-grade Everglades Experience with Outward Bound; however, I did not expect for my experience to come so soon. From enduring the lengthy paddles through sunny Biscayne Bay, to beginning the school day by swimming monotonous laps in the pool, my entire first semester of ninth-grade PE was spent preparing for the Everglades trip. I heard many accounts of what to expect or what to bring from the upperclassmen, but as holiday break concluded, it was now my turn to pack and prepare for the long-awaited trip. The evening before my wave, I stuffed my duffel bag with mounds of clothes and camping necessities. As a Type 1 diabetic wearing an insulin pump with dietary needs, the idea of roughing it only added to my anxiety. That night, I tossed and turned in my bed; I was anxious but excited to embark on the journey that began the next day. The morning of our departure, I bid my family and house farewell and left for school. In the carline, students in my wave exited their cars, hobbling from their overpacked duffel bags full of snacks and clothes. I then hugged my antsy parents goodbye and made my way to the buses, where, in the bus loop, everyone chatted about the forecasted cold weather and the unknown experience ahead. Once on the buses, the farther from civilization we travelled, the more nervous everyone grew. Alligators were pointed out in the marshes through the cold, foggy windows, causing turmoil on the bus. Once we were five minutes from our destination, we were told to shut down our phones. We were officially off of the grid and away from the everyday comforts of home. When we arrived, we dropped our belongings, and everyone gathered in a circle. The buses left us, and there was no turning back. Students stood nervously, shifting and fidgeting, while waiting for our groups to be announced. Finally, after waiting for what felt like an eternity, the instructors flipped the cardboards with the names of our group members. Many were excited to learn that they were in groups with their best friends. Although I did not have any close friends in my group, I was relieved to see familiar faces from school whom I would get to know through the Outward Bound experience. Adventures in the Everglades A ninth grader recounts her experience on the traditional ninth-grade trip into the Everglades