Rexburg’s slogan is America’s Family Community, so we held pictures of our families as we stood in a vigil line outside of BYU-Idaho’s campus today. These were great ways to start conversation with the students who came to speak with us.

Several community members joined us. One woman had grown up in Rexburg and came back to participate in the vigil today. She and the Rexburg chief of police realized they had been next door neighbors when she was a child. She also recognized our sole major heckler as a teacher she’d had in 4th and 6th grades.

In the afternoon, eight riders walked onto campus holding their family pictures. There was definitely a hush as they entered. Though riders have been arrested before, this was the first one I’d been able to see in action. I found myself getting a little teary-eyed as one by one, they put their pictures down on the walkway and were led away by BYU-Idaho security.

It’s privately humorous that I’m writing on a day of such grand transition. We leave this morning. I’m awake but wishing for more sleep, as I have since I left home 6 days ago. I got up early to pack because I stayed up and hung out, half-believing I could fend off the dawn that would split the riders into East and West. At the same time, as I looked at myself in the mirror in one of my snazzy new Soulforce polo shirts (for myself, most flattering with 3 turns of the sleeve, I learned), I was also excited to be finally beginning.

Once downstairs, I saw the conference room full of suitcases and tired, anxious riders, all clad in at least our gray jackets, most distractedly gnawing on continental breakfast items. We came to order and stood in a circle one more time, holding hands (thumbs to the left), giving songs, prayers, and purposeful silences, and then hugs and tears and promises/invitations to call and email. As I took it all in, a fellow (Q)West bus rider approached and asked, “Have you seen the buses yet?” I said no, and we headed outside.

Apparently, the East bus had broken down on its journey to our hotel, leaving them with an unwrapped replacement motor coach. The West bus, however, was there in all its glory. I stared for a moment, realizing that I was actually doing this. Once the buses were packed with luggage and people, we went to a very quick press conference (which is to say, not one at all), said our last goodbyes, and hit the road.

Throughout this travel day, it’s been so interesting to watch drivers’ and pedestrians’ reactions to the bus. Some people twisted around in their seats to keep staring and reading as they passed. Some folks waiting for a bus pointed and smiled and chatted to each other. A car full even gave a rousing one-finger salute. It’s amazing to me that even while I’m asleep on this bus, I’m potentially a part of a conversation. We are activism in constant motion. We are constant activism in motion. We won’t stop.