So we started spontaneously singing, dancing, pretending we could play along with the sculptures.

We're are your host, Zack from Southern California.

And Helena from North Carolina.

This year we're taking you on an audio road trip.

Welcome back to On Our Minds: Road Trip.

As always, your host, Helena.

And Zack.

And this one goes out to Dr.

Seuss.

Because, we're recording this, like, a week out from Dr.

Seuss' birthday.

Hmm, good, good for that guy.

All right, let's get into our story.

Oh, yes.

This one comes from Leonia, New Jersey.

And Abby writes, "The best of hellos from New Jersey.

I'm Abby, and this postcard comes from Leonia.

It's filled with car honks, breezy winds and smells like dew from the night before.

Today's story feels like quiet contemplation, the kind that happens when you take a slow walk around town.

It makes me think about how much we can discover from the things we usually pass by.

Here's a question for you.

What are some aspects of your surroundings that you're curious to learn more about?

Cheers, Abby."

when I was like first reading this at like 5 a.m.

on the way to the airport, I was like, thinking about it.

And I was like, really, like, what interests me is like the people I'm around.

There's this word called sonder.

I don't know if you know what it means.

Do you know what it means?

No, no.

It's when you see other people and you think, like, pretty deeply about, "Oh, this is another person who has their own life, their own goals, their own aspirations, just like me and their life is just as complex as mine."

And so I really like to, like, get to know people and learn all about their life.

Like to the point where it's kind of like nosy.

But you know what?

Whatever.

Because I don't know, people just always interest me.

When I was also looking at the question.

Not that we look at these before or anything.

Right, this is totally off the cuff.

And back at home, I go to this park all the time where I like to play basketball, I like to take walks, and I like to play Pokemon Go.

I was playing basketball one day and there was a guy adjacent from me also playing basketball.

This guy's name was Jason.

He's from Vietnam.

He just moved here.

He goes to community college.

He was really cool.

Like, I learned a lot.

Vietnam schools are apparently a lot harder than like, American high schools.

And I kind of learned all this just from playing one on one basketball with him for three games.

And I crushed him in every single game, by the way, so yeah.

Come on, give some knucks.

That's cool.

So should we get to our story?

Yes we shall.

Stick around after this short break for another story from New Jersey, we'll hear from Libby on what it means to say goodbye to your hometown.

What happens when the next generation of democracy leaders grab the mic?

You get old ideas, fresh voices and conversations that actually matter.

The Democracy Group Podcast Fellowship, a six week program training young leaders to launch podcasts of strength and democracy, bridge divides and engage diverse viewpoints, has dropped its latest episodes, and they are bringing the heat.

Real talk on civic engagement, political change and the future of democracy.

Straight from emerging voices who are living it.

Search The Democracy Group in your favorite podcast app and hit play.

This isn't just politics.

This is the future.

Loud, unfiltered and happening now.

Today's segments were produced by Libby Peckman and Abigail Kim.

Lead Producer Becky Wandel produced this episode with editing and mixing by Wyatt Mayes.

Additional production support was provided by Emily Hope Dobkin, Anthony Payne, Rawan Elbaba, and Caroline Frentz.

Graphics by Anurag Papolu.

Approval and oversight by Editorial Director Marie Cusick and Executive Producer Leah Clapman.

Special thanks to KUT, Jake Pearlman and WETA.

Theme song composed and performed by Emilson Orellana Juarez and Jerick Romero Ciprian Tune in next week on a road trip takes us to Massachusetts.