Mandy Moore reflected on the experiences she missed out on during her teen years

Mandy Moore isn’t a stranger to pulling at our heartstrings. First, her performances on This Is Us nearly always leave us in tears. But in a recent interview with PEOPLE, Moore spoke about being a teen star. She opened up about so many personal things that we’re about to burst into waterworks all over again.

Moore explained that her teenage years were anything but normal, and we can’t help but feel a little sad for her. The actress explained that because she launched a successful music career when she was only 15 years old, her high school years were anything but normal. At that age, her single “Candy” was topping the Billboard music charts. Soon after, she started touring with the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. It may sound like a dream to some, but is it worth the price of missing out on a normal high school experience?

Moore said she has no regrets.

“It was such a roller coaster of unknowns that I was not entirely prepared for in a way, Moore told PEOPLE. “I went from high school watching MTV in the morning to having my own music video and record. I can’t believe I’m still plugging along, to tell the truth!

Being the optimist that she is, Moore is also able to make the best of the situation.

“I do feel like I skipped an important chunk of my life, Moore continued. “But I always wrote it off like, well I have a different trajectory. I didn’t go to prom; I went to a movie premiere instead. It was just different. I know I missed going to college and parties and the sort of social aspects of being a young person, but I had every opportunity to experience that in an adult way in a more adult setting.

But the newly engaged star of This Is Us wouldn’t trade it for anything. “It feels like another lifetime ago,” Moore said. “But I remember enjoying every second of it.”

We’re glad things turned out the way they did!