Taylor on the Cover of Parade Magazine

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In the October 24 issue of PARADE magazine, pop princess Taylor Swift opens up about the challenges of staying grounded while living her dream. Here are some highlights from the exclusive interview.

On her love life.
“Things change so quickly. I have no idea who’s going to be a recurring character and who’s just a guest star for one episode. Love is fascinating. Wishing for it, pining for it, and the anger that comes when you lose it. I used to think that I could figure out some pattern to love, like if you don’t text a guy back for a half hour, he’ll like you more. But there is no pattern. Absolutely nothing is predictable in love or in life.”

On the bittersweet mea culpa "Back to December," from her new album Speak Now.
“Guys get what they deserve in my songs, and if they deserve an apology, they should get one. There was someone who was absolutely wonderful to me and I dropped the ball, and I needed to say all that.”

On how she stalked a fan in Nashville one day.
“I was driving near the mall and I saw this girl with my tour T-shirt on. She was probably 11. I made a U-turn and tried to follow her—I really had to do some maneuvering. I found her in a video-game store and just kind of walked up to her and said, ‘Oh, hi. I wanted to meet you.’ She had no idea what to say for about three minutes. Then her mom walked over, burst into tears, and proceeded to tell me that they’d driven all the way from Austin, Texas, just to see where I was discovered.”

On her own fame.
“I don’t like to feel like I’m some fragile package that has to be shipped by high-priority mail and handled with white gloves.”

On dropping in on a journalism class at the University of Kansas, where her best friend from high school is a junior.
“I just kind of walked in and sat down and tried to learn something. Even if you’re happy with the life you’ve chosen, you’re still curious about the other options. Sometimes I will make a glass of iced tea and watch life go by. I chose one road and didn’t choose the other, but I can still see what that one looks like. In the past year I figured out that happiness is what everybody wants more than anything. Now I think if you’re in the middle of your day and you realize you’re just happy in the moment, you should celebrate that.”

On growing up.
"I still have mixed feelings about what growing up is — this thing that happens to everyone, so I've heard."

On the pain of being a teenage outsider.
"If I was going through a really tough day at school and I didn't have anyone to talk to or sit with at lunch, I would say to myself over and over again, 'It's okay because I can write a song about this later.'"

On her fear that listeners won't connect with her songs.
"That's definitely a nightmare that I wake up from sometimes. Saying things in songs that people will care about is my biggest hope, and saying things that nobody will care about is my biggest fear."

Source: Parade