Instead of an established home, my parents gave me something better：a gypsy wagon, so that I could make my home wherever I might be. My father built with boards of art, music, adventure, anddeviation2 from the norms of society. My mother used boards of unfaltering support, philanthropy1), and appreciation3 of beauty. Between these supports were nailed planks4from each generation of my ancestors2), allowing all of my history to mold me and stay with me. My Norwegian ancestors provided boards of great sturdiness, simplicity5, and education；my ancestors from a mixture of European descent gave fanciful boards reflective of city society andgrandeur6.
The wagon is simplistic in style---no useless porticos, no shutters7 nailed to the outside. Its construction is expedient8 to all for which it is used；I am never weighed down with anything unwanted. The inner walls are painted a Norwegian blue, the outer with a chameleon3) sheenadaptable9 to its surroundings. The few choice furnishings have been acquired in my wanderings and there is still room for more―--always room for quality.
The mobility10 of my gypsy wagon is responsible for my adaptability11. Though I might often caravan4), I am not afraid to go my way alone. I can sit around the fires of any group in society and because I am completely immersed in their environment, I am able to learn about them without preconceptions5) or prejudices. My understanding of them is then based on their environment and history；I don’t try to under stand them on my terms or make them fit to what I already know. I respect and admire that which is true unto itself, no matter how different it may appear. Because of this, I gravitate6) towards what is unique and unusual---be it a culture, an idea, a person, or a creation. I have often acted as a harbinger for my peers and even myself. I have laid tracks with something as simple as the clothes I wear, to my soy-rich diet, to thehumanitarian12, Taoist views I possess. Often what I discover on my own, about a year later, becomes an offbeat13 trend. I collect from different sources to construct my thoughts and actions；I don’t wait for someone else to do it for me.
Each summer my wagon returns to a square cottage in rural Minnesota：the spring of my youth. Without a television, or any modern conveniences added since the 1940’s, the secluded14wooded lot on a small lake has retained its purity. The solace7) and free reign15 of my time has led me to find my creativity. I have been awed8) by nature by spending my days out in the woods and on the islands. At times I attempt to capture nature’s beauty on paper or old Ping-Pong paddles with paints and brushes. At other times I build dams in the stream or carve its course into the sandbar, but the stream always prevails and follows its natural course. On stormy days, I choose a musty book from the shelves and read it in my great-great aunt's rocking chair in front of the fireplace as I listen to a constant drip through the roof to the floor of the concrete stairwell. I reflect and contemplate16 at night as I lie in our hammock and watch the night sky turn, until familiarconstellations17 are lost beneath the horizon. The repose18 of these days and nights fills my wagon with calmness.
My wagon often makes trips to the Black Hills of South Dakota to rest at the home of my father and stepmother. Together we hike the hills and partake in the events of the artist community. In my father’s shop, I learn the trade of fused glass；in the house, he often instructs me on the classical guitar. When the lessons are over, he plays for me his flamenco melodies and songs of Segovia. His music will fill the air of my gypsy wagon indeterminately.
Two summers ago I decided19 to come with my mother to Wisconsin, whereupon I set my wagon a top a wooded hill overlooking the city lights. In Eau Claire I have exposed myself to an array of9) new people and activities, and have begun to explore―in depth―the law, journalism20, the Chinese language, and the interaction between community and youth. Faces contorted with pity always ask me how it was to“move”my junior year. For most, moving would be tearing up roots and trying to transplant them in new soil；I simply carved out another set of tracks to a new land.
My wagon, simple yet expedient, is the confluence21 of all my experience, knowledge, and ideas, and is therefore my home. I wasn’t just given a house that I could look back upon with fond memories, but a sturdy gypsy wagon that will house me wherever I choose to voyage.
We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
2 deviation [ˌdi:viˈeɪʃn]
n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题
参考例句：
Deviation from this rule are very rare.很少有违反这条规则的。
Any deviation from the party's faith is seen as betrayal.任何对党的信仰的偏离被视作背叛。
3 appreciation[əˌpri:ʃiˈeɪʃn]
n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨
参考例句：
I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
4 planks[plæŋks]
（厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点
参考例句：
The house was built solidly of rough wooden planks. 这房子是用粗木板牢固地建造的。
We sawed the log into planks. 我们把木头锯成了木板。
5 simplicity [sɪmˈplɪsəti]
n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯
参考例句：
She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。
6 grandeur [ˈgrændʒə(r)]
n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华
参考例句：
The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。
7 shutters ['ʃʌtəz]
百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门
参考例句：
The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。
The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。
8 expedient [ɪkˈspi:diənt]
adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计
参考例句：
The government found it expedient to relax censorship a little.政府发现略微放宽审查是可取的。
Every kind of expedient was devised by our friends.我们的朋友想出了各种各样的应急办法。
9 adaptable [əˈdæptəbl]
adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的
参考例句：
He is an adaptable man and will soon learn the new work.他是个适应性很强的人，很快就将学会这种工作。
The soil is adaptable to the growth of peanuts.这土壤适宜于花生的生长。
10 mobility[məʊˈbɪləti]
n.可动性，变动性，情感不定
参考例句：
The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。
11 adaptability [əˌdæptə'bɪlətɪ]
n.适应性
参考例句：
It has a wide range of adaptability.它的应用性广。
12 humanitarian [hju:ˌmænɪˈteəriən]
n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者
参考例句：
She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。
13 offbeat [ˌɒfˈbi:t]
adj.不平常的，离奇的
参考例句：
She adores old,offbeat antiques.她非常喜欢那些稀奇古怪的老古董。
His style is offbeat but highly creative.他的风格很不寻常但非常有创造力。
14 secluded [sɪˈklu:dɪd]
adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句：
Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时，喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑，有茅草房顶和宁静的花园，漂亮极了，简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 reign [reɪn]
n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势
参考例句：
The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。
16 contemplate [ˈkɒntəmpleɪt]
vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视
参考例句：
The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。
The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。
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