The Bachelorette star Katie Thurston has revealed how she's feeling now that her season has finished filming, and she apparently believes fate played a role in the outcome of her journey to find love.
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"I've come to learn that everything happens for a reason," Katie told Us Weekly. "And that being said, I am happy, yes."
RELATED LINK: MEET ALL OF KATIE THURSTON'S 'THE BACHELORETTE' SEASON 17 BACHELORS (PHOTOS)
The Bachelorette's seventeenth season just premiered on June 7, and Katie admitted it's a little strange watching herself back on television.
"[I'm feeling] a little bit of everything," Katie said when describing her emotions.
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"I'm excited. I'm anxious. I'm scared, you know, reliving those connections or heartbreak, that's going to be tough."
On Night 1 of The Bachelorette, Katie was introduced to 30 bachelors and decided to give her First Impression Rose to Greg Grippo because he seemed nervous, shy and sincere.
When asked to explain her dream guy, Katie shared with Us, "[I'm] looking for a mature man who can handle himself [and] understand what he signed up for, which is you're sharing a girlfriend right now and do the best that they can."
Katie said on the show she doesn't have a "type" physically and is typically drawn to a man's personality.
Based on a preview of what's to come on Katie's season, Katie made it known to her bachelors that she wanted to leave the show with an engagement. Katie has insisted she was serious about finding love and ending up with her future husband.
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In a preview that aired during The Bachelorette premiere, Katie stood in front of her group of men and shouted, "If you are not here for me, if you are not here for an engagement, then get the f-ck out!"
RELATED LINK: BACHELORETTE SPOILERS: WHO DID KATIE THURSTON PICK AND END UP WITH? WHAT HAPPENS ON THE 2021 SEASON OF 'THE BACHELORETTE' (SPOILERS)
While Katie clearly faced drama and heartbreak during her season, she also fell in love.
Katie told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest during Monday night's episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan, "I definitely fall in love more than once."
Katie insisted it's "absolutely" possible to love more than one person at one time.
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"I think there are different types of love. That's what I had to remind myself at the end of the day, is that I'm looking for that one who is forever and my one and only," Katie explained.
Ryan therefore asked Katie if she had found "lasting love" on the show.
Katie smiled, shrugged her shoulders and replied, "That has yet to be determined!"
Katie's entire The Bachelorette season was taped at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico with quarantine and COVID-19 safety measures in place.
Filming began on March 22, according to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone, and wrapped about a week "ahead of schedule" on April 24 because Katie was reportedly a decisive Bachelorette who meant business.
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RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
"Katie was in control and made sure the men she wanted were there and the men she wasn't interested in, she sent packing," an insider revealed to Us in late April.
After taping The Bachelorette, Katie returned to Instagram on April 28 and hinted at how she had started "a healthy relationship."
"Can't start a healthy relationship without being healthy," Katie captioned a video of herself getting the coronavirus vaccine.
The Bachelorette currently airs Monday nights at 8PM ET/PT on ABC, and Katie was shown narrowing down 30 bachelors to 23 suitors in the show's premiere.
Click here to read spoilers on Katie's The Bachelorette season and whether she did truly leave her season engaged to the winner.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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