The Vampire Diaries season 4 returns in only two days, and now Nina Dobrev has some great new teasers to share about Elena’s transformation!

In this interview released by The CW, Dobrev explains what led to Elena beginning her transition into a vampire: in the last bit of season 3 she had hit her head, but Meredith saved her by giving her vampire blood. This was still in transition when she drowned, so she came back as a vampire.

Dobrev likens Elena’s transition to a “coming of age story,” saying that, “it’s her transition into adulthood.” While Elena has already faced so much in her life and has had to take on responsibilities, taking care of Jeremy and being the woman of the household, now she is becoming physically stronger and consequently much more independent and able to take care of herself in a supernatural world.

Speaking to TV Guide, Dobrev reveals that where Elena’s so far been a solid rock on the show, in season 4 of The Vampire Diaries she is going to be more unpredictable, “all over the place.” She is going to find herself very confused, too. “I think everyone’s gonna be surprised by what she does,” Dobrev says.

The next seven or eight episodes is going to be Elena trying to find herself all over again. She’s going to be torn between the brothers once again – or rather the brothers’ way of life. While Damon is going to be tempting her to drink from humans, Stefan is going to try to get her on “the bunny diet,” and she’ll be tempted by both sides, and be going to both brothers at different times.

As far as Elena’s other relationships, it’s going to put a strain on all of them. They’ll all be conflicted, Dobrev says, because Elena has become a vampire, which is what the others have all been fearing and working against for the past three years. Especially Bonnie will struggle with this new reality – and Elena herself won’t even like the person she’s becoming.

The Vampire Diaries returns with the season 4 premiere, “Growing Pains,” on Thursday at 8/7c on The CW!