Nina Dobrev
Nina Dobrev has spoken about her plans after "The Vampire Diaries." Above, she appears at Elle magazine's annual Women in Television dinner in Los Angeles in January 2015. Reuters

Elena Gilbert’s time on “The Vampire Diaries” is over, but actress Nina Dobrev has plenty of plans for her life after the CW drama. Given Dobrev’s recent roles in the films “The Final Girls” and “Let’s Be Cops,” some assumed she was headed straight for the big screen after exiting the television series, but the actress revealed she actually wants to take a break.

Dobrev, 26, has been working steadily since 2006 when she started on “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” It appears she is now welcoming a change of pace. “I had a very scheduled, regimented life, and I’ve just been taking the whole month to not plan anything and see where life takes me and chill for a second before getting back into it and getting superfocused again,” she told People.

On “The Vampire Diaries” Season 6 finale Thursday night, Dobrev’s character Elena was cursed by evil witch Kai (Chris Wood) to stay asleep as long as her friend Bonnie (Kat Graham) was alive. If any attempt to break the curse was made, both girls would die. Because Elena didn’t die, her friends were able to travel into her mind to get a few last moments with her. While it was a tearful goodbye for Elena and her friends, Dobrev wasn’t too upset to be leaving. “The fairy tale has to end, and the next chapter has to begin. I knew this was my time, and I’m excited for the next step,” she told the Hollywood Reporter.

After spending so many years playing a teenager, Dobrev is ready to live like someone her own age. “I want to live like a twentysomething!” she exclaimed to People. According to Self magazine, her only immediate plans were for a cross-country road trip with friends with stops planned in places such as New Orleans, Houston, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.

Dobrev doesn’t know what the next step in her career will be, but an unplanned future doesn’t worry the Bulgaria-born actress. “Anything for the first time, the unknown, the fear, those are all emotions that are so exciting, ultimately,” she told the Hollywood Reporter. “I love that feeling, and I really want to feel that again. That’s why I’m excited about this next chapter: I have no idea what’s going to happen, and that means anything can happen. That’s what’s most exciting to me -- the prospect of anything.”

When Dobrev decides she is ready to return to work, she revealed she is open to all types of projects. She told People that she is even willing to commit to another TV show. “TV is amazing these days, and the quality on television is incredible. I would love to do more TV if it’s good quality, and I would love to do film that I’m passionate about,” she said.

Although Dobrev doesn’t know what the future holds for herself, her cast mates will return for “The Vampire Diaries” Season 7. As previously reported, the show will focus more on Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) when it returns to the CW in the fall.

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