Rachel Lindsay's The Bachelorette season is only hours away, and according to the star herself, viewers are in for a treat -- and a lot of drama.

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The Bachelorette's thirteenth season will premiere Monday, May 22 at 9PM ET/PT on ABC. (The show will return to its usual 8PM time the following week).

Rachel is a straight shooter and very open about what viewers can expect to see on her season. The 32-year-old Dallas attorney already revealed she found love on the show and is currently engaged! So what else is she willing to share with us?

During a recent conference call with reporters, Rachel talked about her The Bachelorette journey, teasing everything from qualities she's looking for in a partner to heartache she experienced along the way.

Below is the concluding portion of Rachel's lengthy The Bachelorette interview.

What were you surprised to learn about your fiance? Did you research him online once you got home from filming?

Rachel Lindsay: No, no. There's no sleuthing going on. Everything I learned from him, I want to learn from him. I want him to tell me. I don't want to have to do my own research. 

With Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell breaking up, did that damper your confidence in this process at all? 

Rachel Lindsay: No. I think every relationship is different. You know, I don't know Ben and Lauren. I don't know the reasons behind the breakup. But no, it didn't make me think a certain way about our relationship or it moving forward because everyone is different. 

Was there any point in the process where you were like, "This is too much. I don't think I can keep going." 

Rachel Lindsay: Yes, sure. I would love to say that it was always sunshine and blue skies, but it's hard. It's hard physically, it's hard emotionally.  You really become invested in the men that are there for you.

And again, like I keep saying, you have no idea how they're going to impact your life.  So I definitely had my days where it was harder than most, and you'll see that as you watch the show. You'll definitely see it. 

What are you nervous for America to see on TV? 

Rachel Lindsay: I mean, I typically -- believe it or not -- am private when it comes to my dating life and who I'm dating and how we're dating each other, so I was nervous for, you know, this to be about me. This is specifically my journey and my relationship with 31 men. That was a little difficult for me to accept. 

And then also, I was scared that it wouldn't work for me. I was scared that I would send someone home that should still have stayed, like, that I didn't give enough time to, I didn't get a chance to know. It's like, "What if I send the person home I'm supposed to be with?" That was a huge fear of mine. 

How did you get through the difficult times during filming without having your family and friends there to lean on? 

Rachel Lindsay: I mean, that's a great question. It is hard. You know, normally, I would bounce it off with my girlfriends or my family, but I just followed what my mom said. She said, "Follow your gut." You know, "You've been raised a certain way. You have good judgment. Just go with that."

Or I followed the advice of my pastor and I would just pray about it. I really think that just following my gut, praying about it, and you know, pulling some things that I've learned from past relationships and being true to myself helped me make the best decision in the end. 

What are some qualities about yourself that you hope viewers will notice or pick up on while watching The Bachelorette?  

Rachel Lindsay: I am a straight shooter, and I really don't hold back. I guess that's a gift and a curse. I think you'll see both of those together. I just -- I keep it real, and you know, I'm grateful. I think you'll see that as the show plays out. You really will. I'm very genuine. I'm very sincere. And you'll see that in all aspects of the show. 

There's a ton of celebrities who are huge fans of the show. Who's the coolest celebrity that you've met? 

Rachel Lindsay: You know, the biggest ones that I met were the ones that were on my season. [Ellen DeGeneres], yes, Ellen. I was very excited to meet her. I didn't know she was as big of a fan as she is. She's like a role model to me.

I mean, she's doing it all. So as I sit on Ellen's couch and talk with her about the show and how she's a fan and how she was rooting for me, I mean that was humbling and surreal and just mind-blowing. Yes, Ellen definitely. 

What are you most excited to do when all of this ends? Right now, you have to be away from the person you love and keep everything a secret. So once it's all out there, what will be the first thing that you guys do together? 

Rachel Lindsay: The first thing we'll do is get my dog. You will get to see my dog. His name is Copper. He will be on the show. He's involved in a lot of the dates. And yes, you'll even see a little bit of him during the first episode. Copper is my child, my dog child. And that will be one of the first things that I'm doing when all of this is over with. 

In the most recent promo for your season, it looks like the guys do a lot of crying. I was wondering, what's your take on man tears? 

Rachel Lindsay: I love a man that's in touch with his feelings. Now, I mean, I don't need you to cry more than you talk. But I love that if you're feeling something, you just go with it. So that's something where I'm talking to myself when I say that too.

I made sure to do that and not hold back with my own emotions. Because I can do that sometimes, put a wall up. It was my sense that men were so willing to embrace their emotions during my season. I loved that. 

If you could have had a contestant from any of the past The Bachelorette seasons come on to yours, whom would you have wanted it to be and why?

Rachel Lindsay: That's a good question. Honestly, one, I really wasn't that familiar with the show, so I really couldn't name people. But I loved my 31 guys. I think I have the most guys ever and they were all great in their own right. So I wouldn't trade them out for anyone else. 

When they introduced several suitors on The Bachelor: After the Final Rose, one of the guys made a comment, like, "once you go black, you never go back." Did you have to deal with any men having stereotypes about African-American women? And if you did, would you shut them down? That'll be different from any other season that we've ever seen.

Rachel Lindsay: No, I mean, I know a lot of people were shocked by [Dean Unglert]'s comment. It did not bother me in the least. But I actually enjoyed how bold he was and confident to come out onstage and make that comment. It's such a phrase that's used by a lot of people, so it really didn't bother me.

And that might have been the boldest comment that I had through the entire season. Race wasn't really -- no one made me very aware that I was black, or that this was the first time they've been in an interracial relationship. Those conversations were had later on, but it really wasn't a theme or an issue during the season. 

Do you plan to go back into law when you're done with The Bachelorette?

Rachel Lindsay: It's interesting, I get the law question a lot. I actually talked to my boss this morning. So, I definitely plan on going back. I really do. I plan on going back.

I'm very fortunate to have a very understanding job that allows the flexibility to be able to do this and [a boss] also very interested in me finding love. So, I do plan to go back, maybe not in the same capacity. But I definitely [intend] to still practice law. 

To read more from Rachel Lindsay's The Bachelorette interview, check out Reality TV World's The Bachelorette 13 webpage.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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