How We Met
Austin and I met through mutual friends our sophomore year of college at East Carolina University, we even had a class together that year, Business 1200, a class I’ll never forget. At the time Austin was dating someone else so we were just friends for awhile, but I think we always knew there was something special about one another. Eventually Austin was single and I had accepted an internship in the Outer Banks. Austin decided that he was going to get an internship in the OBX for the sole purpose of having an excuse to hangout with me (his words not mine haha). He got the internship and we both moved to the Outer Banks for the Summer. We began to text and hang out from time to time. One day in particular we spent the whole afternoon talking on the beach, he walked me back to my house and asked if he could use the outdoor shower to wash off.
He had been in there for awhile and I joked about how long it was taking him (turns out he wasn’t washing off he was plotting his next move). He came out and we hugged to say goodbye but Austin wasn’t ready to leave.He asked me on a date and I couldn’t refuse. I said yes and he celebrated like he won the lottery (most guys wait till the girl can’t see them celebrate but not Austin, he couldn’t contain his excitement). Our first date went really well but I was dumb and let things simmer down afterwards. We went back to school for our senior year that fall and he stayed persistent. We joke around and say that eventually he broke me down because roughly 8 months after our first date I finally said yes to being his girlfriend.
how they asked
A couple days before Christmas Austin told me I was getting my present early. It was a trip to Zootastic Park, a park in North Carolina where you can play with an array of exotic animals (basically my dream). We were going to be doing the animal encounter which included a kangaroo, lemurs, a spider monkey, and a white tiger club! Austin told me that he split the gift with my best friend’s (Tiffany) boyfriend (Cameron) and that we would all be going together, eventually I found out this was a cover when in reality they were there to document everything. We woke up early that day and started our 2 hour drive. There were a few odd things that had happened along the way but of course I brushed them off like it was nothing. We had stopped to get breakfast but Austin didn’t eat, we stopped to use the restroom and Austin got out of his car with the full intention of going inside and didn’t even notice he left the car on and the keys in the ignition, and he barely said anything the entire way there but like I said I brushed it off like it was nothing.
We arrived and checked in where we were immediately greeted by a sloth and a million souvenir stuffed animals. Eventually we made it outside where there were two giraffes just ready to be greeted (seriously if you live in NC if you have to visit this place). We played with the giraffes until it was time for us to go in. Finally it was time for our encounter. We entered the room and sat down, eager and ready for all the animals. First up, the kangaroo. He was inside a blanket pouch and we got to cradle him like a baby but eventually he hopped around in his little kangaroo diaper. After the kangaroo we played with lemurs, a kinkajou (look it up its very cute), a spider monkey and lastly the white tiger cub.
I was the most excited for the white tiger cub so when they brought him out the trainers began to place us in spots for what I thought were photo opportunities but in reality they were helping with the proposal. They placed me in the center of the room, Tiffany had my camera and was snapping a million pictures and Cameron was taking a video on my GoPro. They had the tiger cub in front of me and I was so excited I was distracted from what was actually going on. I turn to my right and and everything went into slow motion.
Austin had gotten down on one knee and had a little box in his hand. He looks up at me and says “I’m tired of waiting, Devin Brianna Kane…” he took a second to let me process what was going on and I said “there is so much going on right now,” at that moment I had a white tiger club at my feet and a spider monkey on my hip, it was so overwhelming in the best possible way. At this point I was so excited about what was happening I kind of blacked out and had an out of body experience all at once. He had asked me to marry him and of course I said yes. I couldn’t stop shaking and smiling. Unlike before, I wasn’t dumb. I wasn’t going to let this amazing guy go again. It was the easiest decision I have ever made. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect proposal and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with a man who cares so much for me.
