Before Idol, Carrie says she never dreamed that she would be able to sing for a living. "That's just not a job. That's not something attainable that you go after. You can't go to school for that, you know?"

Still, Carrie says it's been exciting to see her dream come true. "I keep waiting for the big drop, because they say everything is full of ups and downs, but everything so far has worked out so wonderful."