The wonderful one-month summer experience in Blue Ridge mountains some 16 years ago is something unforgettable in my life. During July 8-12, I visited the National Youth Science Camp (
NYSC), Pocahontas County, WV, for the first time in 16 years, as a guest lecturer this time. I gave a directed study on Weather Forecasting, and a lecture on numerical weather prediction, chaos and predictability.
What amazed me is that nothing has changed at the camp. The cabins, green, ping-pong tables, dining hall, rec hall, camp store, pay phones, and bathroom with full of bugs. The enthusiastic and energetic delegates. Some were running around, playing balls and frisbees, others were sitting or lying quietly on the green, reading books. I remember I liked to write journals on the green. Good that I lost the journal, so that I don't remember what stupid things I wrote. During the 4-day visit, details that I already forgot started to come back in my mind, very gradually. What amazed me was that everything I remembered looked the same 16 years ago, such as the face on the tree in front of the dining hall. First I could not remember whether or not the face was there, but gradually, I got the memory back.
This was a very interesting experience for me, visiting my first place in the US, where I had only vague memories in my youth. I was one of the energetic delegates 16 years ago, just as the ones there in front of me, being curious and enthusiastic about unknown science fields. I wonder how I grew from that time. I have more knowledge about the narrow field of my expertise, but I believe I have the same curiosity and enthusiasm about knowing what is unknown, exploring something never explored previously. I hope I entertained the delegates with my lecture, and was able to convey the joy of scientific exploration, at least to some extent.
