'RHOA' Season 9 Will Be The Most Dramatic Yet

If we have learned anything from the Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 9 trailer, it's that there will be pure drama waiting in the wings for viewers to drink up. And, in an interview with Bustle, Phaedra Parks made it clear that what we saw in that trailer was an accurate depiction of what to expect in the upcoming season. "This year you’re going to see — It’s probably going to be the most dramatic turn of events on the show," she says. And what does that mean exactly? "You’ve got some shockers coming out that I had no idea about. So I’ll say this: We have sexuality issues, relationship issues, religion, and politics. That is a perfect combination."

She remained coy about the details of those shockers, but we've seen what kind of blow-ups can happen when the Real Housewives of Atlanta get together under one roof. It seems that Parks is confirming that those tense conversations about cast mate Kandi Buruss' sexuality, and Cynthia Bailey's divorce proceedings, will take center stage this season. Not to mention Parks' own renewed friendship with Kenya Moore, a major shocker in and of itself. Could Season 9 get any crazier? Well, now that you mention it, yes.

Parks also revealed to Bustle that the show is going to not only get incredibly dramatic, but the women took a group trip (a staple event in each season of each iteration of the Real Housewives franchise) to Hawaii. However, another group trip was to a place that we may not expect the glam housewives to end up. What began as Parks joking that she's "a true, down-home, Southern country girl," gave way to her saying this: "I actually took the girls camping."

Sorry, what? Camping? "Well, they were not really excited about spending a night outside, but I think it was great," she says. "...For those 24 hours they were disconnected from all social media and all the things that really distract us, so we were able to have some very interesting discussions and talk about some difficult topics... There was a lot that happened in those moments that we couldn’t run away from because we were in the middle of the woods."

This leads to two big questions: Can you picture any of the Atlanta housewives camping with ease? Furthermore, what kind of drama are the women hashing out in the middle of the woods?

Amidst all of the drama, it can be tough to stay grounded. As a working mother with two young boys, Parks has plenty of responsibility on her plate aside from the wild antics on the show. She credits her faith as her anchor point, as well as the guiding factor that allows her to serve as a role model on the show, because she is cognizant that Real Housewives of Atlanta draws in millions of viewers.

When asked how she stays so strong and resilient, Parks replies that, "I don’t know if there’s a certain mindset but I have a strong faith in God. I’m a Christian. But at the end of the day, we’re all on a journey. I think you’re put in certain places to be effective. Sometime you’ve got to see the bigger picture. If God affords you a platform like this show, you’ve got to use it not just to benefit yourself or be petty but to help people, to hopefully inspire people."

She goes on to discuss that her position in the world, by way of the show, is now a unique one, and she has no intention of squandering it: "As a graduate of a women’s college, a holder of five college degrees, I understand staying the course, but I also understand that no journey is without ups and downs. It’s not about falling down but about how you get up and what you do when you get up."

Her resilience is indeed her most admirable quality, one of the many reasons why she's remained an exciting member of the Atlanta cast, and why we'll be eagerly tuning in to watch her in Season 9.

"You know I think sometimes in reality TV, because people are trying to make a name for themselves, or trying to push the envelope, they forget about what’s really important," Parks says. "Treat people like you want to be treated. Putting things into the atmosphere that you want to return to you. I truly believe that whatever you send out, you will get right back."

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