In a rehearsal space near downtown Nashville, Taylor Swift is working on songs for her summer tour. Dressed casually in a summery blue and tan dress with her hair pulled back in a single braid that hangs below her shoulders, she plays a crystal-studded guitar while she sings a sad waltz, then switches it out for a banjo as her band kicks into her latest country hit, Mean.

Now 21 and living on her own since moving out of her parents' house 20 miles away last June, Swift calls her midtown Nashville penthouse “a wonderland” of barn-wood floors, reclaimed brick walls and mismatched kitchen décor.

 

“The best thing about being on your own is having that sanctuary,” she says, settling her slender frame into a leather couch. “That place that's yours.”

 

This week, Swift lands in Columbus, Ohio, on the first leg of an ambitious, six-month North American tour that takes her to 30 states and Canada. And Wednesday, the country star is up for three awards at the CMT Music Awards.

 

Before she hit the road again, we asked the country sensation if she would answer some of the thousands of questions submitted online from USA WEEKEND readers.

 

Here's what she told us:

 

Now that you have moved out, what do you miss most about living with your mom?

— Ashleigh Soden, Sydney

I don't miss that much about it, honestly! We see each other all the time still.

 

Do you ever regret not going to college?

— Elsilyn Zeider, Plymouth, Ind.

No. In order to keep perspective and to not be the girl who wants one thing her whole life then gets it and complains, I'm cool with the path I've chosen.

 

When you write songs about your relationships with people, do you consider what their reaction will be?

— Amber Nichter, Crestwood, Ky.

The only thing I'm thinking about is the person I'm writing about. It's a little message in a bottle. Sometimes, the purpose of writing it in the first place is what the person will do when they hear it. The fact that other people come into the equation, that happens 50 steps down the line.


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