Before the 2016 elections, I thought I was a pretty good citizen. I read the paper, voted in every election, and did a little phone banking for presidential elections. But mostly, I figured other people would be doing the heavy lifting of knocking on doors and making phone calls to voters. I didn’t know who those other people were, but I figured they’d be much better equipped and “they” would take magically care of it.

Obviously, it didn’t quite work out that way. After the 2016 election, I realized it was up to each of us to protect and nurture our democracy. I wanted to do something, but I had no idea what I could accomplish that would have any impact. When the start of the Trump administration proved even worse than I’d feared, I was spurred into action. I started learning Spanish so I could talk with more voters, began phone banking to swing districts and states, and eventually started knocking on voters’ doors.

What happened next was a complete surprise: I unexpectedly fell in love with talking with my fellow Americans, all across the country. Our conversations gave me a glimpse into so many other lives. Their stories moved my heart, made me think, and sometimes caused me to laugh out loud. I also met many like-minded volunteers who cheered me on and inspired me with their passion for democracy. Some turned into mentors, and others became dear friends.

I learned so much from talking with more than 1,000 voters that I teamed up with several others to teach online voter engagement workshops. So far, we’ve taught more than 2,500 volunteers from across the country how to more effectively talk with voters. Our workshops include Phone Bank and Canvassing Training for Introverts (& Friends), Spanish for Activists, and You and the 34%: How to Have Meaningful Conversations with High-Potential Voters.

Now I’ve written a book, The Joy of Talking Politics with Strangers: How to Save Democracy, One Conversation at a Time. It brings together everything I’ve learned about how to talk with voters. If you’re thinking about canvassing or phone banking in the upcoming elections, this book will help you get started. If you’re a more experienced volunteer, this book will give you some tips and strategies for getting even more out of your conversations with voters. So much depends on the results of the next elections, so I hope you’ll join me in talking politics with strangers – and find joy in the process!