For two decades now, Jennifer Lopez has been a household name synonymous with incredible dance moves, stunning looks, and of course, her infamous derriere. What few people realize, however, is just how far the pop icon has come.

In a recent photo shoot for W Magazine, Lopez opens up about her past and some of the trials and tribulations she had to go through in order to be successful. Most notably, she discusses how was once homeless in order to pursue her dreams.

"My mom and I butted heads. I didn't want to go to college -- I wanted to try dance full-time," she explained to W. "So she and I had a break. I started sleeping on the sofa in the dance studio. I was homeless, but I told her, 'This is what I have to do.' A few months later, I landed a job dancing in Europe. When I got back, I booked 'In Living Color.' I became a Fly Girl and moved to L.A. It all happened in a year."

That's right, the same woman who now owns a $10 million mansion in the Hamptons used to not even have a bed to sleep on. Even before that, Lopez came from very humble beginnings. She went back to her old house in the Bronx for her photo shoot with W Magazine, and reflected a bit on what the journey's meant to her.

"The last time I was in there was when my mom and dad called us home to tell us they were separating after 33 years of marriage," Lopez told the magazine. "I think that's why I was nervous about coming here today. It's like seeing someone from the past -- you're afraid to run into them because you never know if it's going to be 'wow' or very difficult. This is a combination of both."

Since growing up in the Bronx, "Jenny From the Block" has grown up quite a bit. Though her love life has been famously complicated, she is still the proud mother of twins. So what does she have to say about parenting and how to get one's children to be all that they can be?

"I think a lot about teaching my kids to work hard. I've learned something about kids -- they don't do what you say; they do what you do," Lopez explained. "I watched my parents. My dad worked nights, and I was aware of how much he was doing for us. My mom was a Tupperware lady and also worked at the school. I always felt that I couldn't let them down. And I had a natural discipline from early on. I was always training for something."