Day 64, 20th October 2011. Las Vegas - San Diego, California

After all the excitement of the past 2 days, it was so hard to get up today because we were so tired. The whole time we were in Vegas we hardly had any sleep. We were meeting downstairs at 9am so we got up at about 8, even though it was so hard to get out of bed, it was my first morning as a married lady, so nothing could really bother me. 

We got up and started packing all our stuff up, it felt sad leaving the room, it was special because it was our wedding night room, even though it was in Hooters LOL. I also had to leave my flowers behind as there was nowhere I could keep them.

Bye bye flowers :( even though half of them had fallen out

When we got downstairs to meet the group, we got a few congratulations, but Mark totally ignored us because he was clearly angry that he wasn't invited. Oh well, it was our night, not his, so I couldn't have cared less. We had a really long drive to San Diego today. When we got in the van I was sad to leave Vegas because I felt that we didn't have enough time there, well we didn't have enough time anywhere, but I now feel a special connection with Vegas, and can't wait to go back there one day.

We stopped at a gas station/gift shop as soon as we started driving and me and Gary bought a load of crap in there including lollies with scorpions inside. Then when the real long drive started all I wanted to do was sleep, but I knew I had to write my diary out for the past 2 days. The reason I am writing this all now is because I kept a diary of what we did every day while we were there. Sometimes it was a struggle to write it because I wanted to just do other things, but I am glad that I made myself stick to it because I have it to look back on. I had 2 days worth of what had happened in Vegas to write and it took forever because so much had happened. When I had finally finished writing we were back in the state of California (where it all began, so weird) and we were stopping for lunch.

For lunch we got to have something that we had wanted to try for ages, In-n-Out Burger! I was so excited to finally get it, and it was really good. It was also the first meal I had eaten as a married person. Both groups stopped there for lunch together and we had about a hour there, so it was nice to chat to everyone about Vegas and the wedding.

After lunch we still had a long drive ahead of us. Now that I didn't have to write my diary I wanted to sleep but now I wasn't tired enough. I tried to sleep for a little bit but I was wide awake. We stopped at a gas station mid afternoon and that's where another really good thing happened. Ever since they stopped selling Ben and Jerry's Cheesecake Brownie Ice Cream in the UK, I have been so upset about it. It is my 100% favorite ice cream of all time. Every time we saw a Ben and Jerry's store in the USA or were in the supermarket, we looked for it, but it didn't seem to be on sale over here either, even though on the internet it said it was. I was getting back in the van when Gary came running out of the store telling me that they had Cheesecake Brownie. And he had bought me a big tub of it. I was so happy. Best husband ever!!

The only problem was that as we didn't have anywhere cold to put it, we had to eat it all right now. Luckily, Gary shared it with me, actually he probably ate more of it that I did. Once I was full I didn't want to see it go to waste so I was glad that he gobbled it up. I was so happy to taste it again, so I was one very happy wife.

We got to our camp in San Diego at about 5.30pm. It had been the longest driving day we had for this half of the trip. We set up our tents for the very last time :( the other group had just arrived too and were setting up their things too. Someone started talking about going to watch Paranormal Activity 3 at the cinema tonight because it was coming out today I think, and there was a midnight showing. I didn't really want to but Gary did so we said we would go.

Mark then said our group had to go to the supermarket to get food. I really didn't want to go I just wanted to relax at camp, and when we got there, we hardly had to get anything so it seemed really pointless. When the tiniest shopping trip ever was over, as we went back to the van, we saw this on it.

It was such a funny surprise! I think it was Nick who came up with the idea, and Kirsty had put it on there while we were in the store.

We got in the van to drive back to camp, and Mark was going really slowly ad kept turning the wrong way, so I was getting really annoyed because I wanted to go back to camp. After about 15 minutes of this we all started to get suspicious, and Gary then told us that he had seen some water balloons in the other groups trailer. We now convinced ourselves that they were planning some kind of attack on our group, but Gary said that he had hidden the water balloons in our trailer instead.

As we finally got back to camp, in the distance we could see the other group all standing in a line and we just knew we were right about them planning to do something to us. No one wanted to get out of the van because we didn't know what they were going to do to us. Mark said that me and Gary had to get out first, and all of a sudden the realization hit me that they might be doing something for us! I was SO surprised, I honestly was not expecting it one bit. As we got out they threw loads of confetti over us, that hurt. I later found out that it was pasta shells because they had no confetti haha. 

I was kind of a bit in shock at everything they had done for us, it still feels a bit like a dream We walked over to camp and they had decorated our tent, and a gazebo, and the table was all set up with plates and decorations.

Our tent

Pretty table decorations

 I seriously cannot even express how surprised I was by the whole thing, it was the nicest thing ever. They sat me and Gary down in the middle of the table and then some pizzas were delivered and we all ate them. I hardly ate anything though because I was so excited and surprised, I couldn't concentrate on eating. The fact that they had put so much effort into doing this was just the best thing ever. There was so much going on I felt like I couldn't even take it all in.

They gave us some bottles of champagne and then we all drank some. I don't even like champagne usually, but I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I was just drinking it happily.

After we had all eaten, Nick and Dean, the 'best men' made a speech. It was really funny and cute, and they had made it into a poem. It was the cutest and nicest thing for them to do and I totally had a tear in my eye, I was trying not to cry though because if I started I would never stop. They made us feel so special and me and Gary just kept saying to each other that we couldn't believe this was all for us. 

Once all the dinner stuff was cleared away, me and Gary thanked everyone so much, but apparently the surprises were far from over! 

Cece and Kirsty took us aside and had outfits for us to wear! They dressed me as a groom, I had a jacket, trousers and a tie. Apparently it was a kids dressing up outfit and we could not get the trousers up. They were so tight we were all laughing but in the end I had to take them off, my bum was way too big to fit in it, we managed to finally get them up but I couldn't even walk! The best part was that Gary was dressed as a Bride! I cant even explain how funny it was, he looked hilarious!

The Bride and Groom

Then Simone bought us over a cake, this is going to be repeated constantly, but I seriously couldn't get over how much stuff was happening. They had put so much thought and effort into it.

Cutting the cake 

Yep you can guess what comes next...

Gary managed to get cake in just about every hole on my face. In my mouth, eyes and nose. I was so sticky and gross. I was wiping it off for ages, but at least it was Red Velvet cake, which is my favorite, they must have remembered that from my birthday.

Then we were told it was time for our first dance.

My beautiful bride LOL

About half way through everyone joined in with us and we all danced around together in a circle. 

We just felt so loved by everyone, it was the best feeling ever. Happiest night of my life ever. Again, we thought the surprises were over, but they were not! We found out that our tent was locked, and we had to play games to get the combination for the numbers on the padlocks. We had 6 games to play and each one would get us a number.

The first one was a Mr and Mrs game where we sat back to back and had to answer questions by holding up either a pink flip flop (me) or a blue one (Gary). They were all questions that one of us had to be the answer to like 'who is the better driver?' (Gary), 'who is the most bossy?' (me) and 'who farts most?' (of course, Gary)

We won at Mr and Mrs, and got our first number. Then we played a game where we had 2 minutes to pop loads of balloons, and one of them had the number in. Once we had got our 2nd number, the 3rd game was tug of war against Kirsty, Dean and Nick. Me and Gary were on solid ground and they were on a piece of plastic with water and soap on so they were slipping around. Me and Gary won (just about).

The 4th game was an obstacle course. Gary was blindfolded and I had to guide him through it with words. It was so funny, and I got him through it.

The 5th game was apple bobbing, and one of the apples had a number on. Gary had to do this one, not me, because I would have never been able to bite the apples hard enough to pick the them up.

Then it was time for the 6th and final game. Carlos had set up a trail of drinks to our tent that me and Gary had to take turns in drinking in a set amount of time to get the final number. It was a long line...

It was such a gross mix of drinks, there were a few that were just coke or water, but most were vodka and beer.

The very last one was about half full of Whisky... and I was the one who had to drink it. I had one sip and thought that I was going to throw up, so Gary had to drink it for me.

He did it! Well done Gary.

Then we found out that all the numbers that they had given us were not in order, and we had one final thing to do. The numbers for the padlock were written in order on a garter on Gary's legs. The next thing I knew I saw Nick coming at me with a pair of handcuffs and I made him promise that he had the key!! So yeah, I was handcuffed and I had to bite the garter off of Gary's hairy leg. Lucky me HAHA.

About half of Gary's leg hair came off in the process, it was really hurting him lol.

Yay, we have the code!

Finally got the tent open.... this is what they were doing with the water balloons that Gary had found! They weren't filled with water though, just air thankfully. We got thrown in the tent and locked in for half an hour.

It was so crazy when we finally had some time to process in our heads everything that had happened. It was the nicest thing that anybody has ever done for us, ever. I don't think anyone will ever beat it. We felt like so many people at home that we have known all our lives would have not made such an effort for us, and these people that 9 weeks ago, we hadn't even met, and now they were doing such an amazing thing for us.

Also, the fact that it was the other group that did it meant so much too. These were people that we hadn't even spent all day every day with, and they still did so much for us. I was in so much shock and disbelief over the whole thing. I really mean it when I say it was the best night of my life, I have never been happier than I was right then. I had just got married to the love of my life, and I had the best friends in the world throw us an amazing surprise party. When we were in Vegas, it was great to get married, and I was so happy to be Gary's wife, but I felt a little sad that I didn't get a big fuss or anything. Now that this had happened I could not be any happier, with how the whole thing turned out, they are my very best memories.

When we were unlocked, Simone came over and gave us a card and loads of little keepsake items like all the notes from the games and a copy of Nick and Dean's speech. When I was speaking to some of the other girls they told me that the whole thing had been Simone's idea, so I went to talk to her. There wasn't really anything I could say to let her know how much it meant to me, so we both cried and hugged a lot and I tried to explain to her how it was the best thing anyone has done for me ever. I think I got the message across. She said how their group had spent the whole day planning it in the van, and the boys had spent ages writing their speech and how it was Cait's idea to dress Gary as a bride.

I had to go have a shower as I was covered in cake/mud/tears and when I got out I spoke to Zoe, Cece and Cait all about how much we had loved it. I don't think I could ever say enough how perfect it was for us and how much we had enjoyed it, but I tried. Then I had to go get Nick and Dean to tell them how much I loved them, they had been so great right from finding out that we were getting married, and I appreciate everything that they did so much.

Once I was all happy cried out, it was time to leave to go see Paranormal Activity 3, which I had totally forgotten about with all the excitement. We got taxi's down to the cinema and it was so busy. They were showing the film at midnight in every screen in the cinema. There's not much to say about the film, it was really scary and I only watched about 25% of it, the rest of the time I was hiding in my hood.

We got taxi's back to camp, me and Gary got one with Sua and Zoe, and I kept telling Zoe how amazed and happy I was with what happened tonight. I don't think I ever managed to be grateful enough to them, but I was trying. I love them all so much for what they did, and I will never ever stop thinking about it. They really are the best people I have ever known, but there was a really sad part to it, that Trek America was nearly over, and I didn't ever want to leave them.