Carrie Underwood Recalls the Defining Moment Her 'Life Changed Forever'

Carrie Underwood dreamed of being a singer, ever since she was a little girl. The dream seemed unlikely, especially growing up in her hometown of rural Muskogee, Oklahoma, so she enrolled in Northeastern State University, to study mass communications instead. Underwood recalled her unlikely career path, which included winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005, while performing as part of her massive Cry Pretty Tour 360, in her current hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.

"When I was a little girl … if you had asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would have told you I wanted to be a famous country music singer," Underwood shared from stage (via PEOPLE). "As I got older, dreams tend to give way to practicalities, so I started going to school to get a real job. One day there was an open door, and I walked through it and my life was changed forever."

The 36-year-old hopes her life can serve as an inspiration for others to pursue their own dreams, however big or unlikely they may appear.

"If there is something you guys out there are holding on to that just seems like too big of a dream or something too crazy," she continued, "I'm living proof that the craziest things can happen, and you can end up exactly where you always wanted to be."

The married mother of two hopes her life can serve as an inspiration in other areas too, especially for women who want to have a family and a career.

"I feel like there's a lot of women who feel like they have to give up [having a family] to follow their dreams, and hopefully they can see that you can juggle," Underwood admitted to The Tennessean. "I'm not gonna lie. It's hard, but you get people around you who will help and be a part of your family. You can have it all. We are living the dream."

"I never knew what it was like to be a mom and a wife and a woman in this business until I became those things," she continued. "It makes me respect those women that I grew up idolizing even more, and I didn't even know all that they had on their plate."

Underwood's Cry Pretty Tour 360 will wrap up on Oct. 31. She will return to Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 13 to host the 2019 CMA Awards, with help from Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. The ceremony will air live at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo Credit: Getty images / Jason Kempin