Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Endometriosis Foundation of AmericaCongratulations, Lena Dunham! The day you've been waiting for has finally arrived.
After becoming a most welcome poster child for waving goodbye to your 20s with open arms, the Girls star finally turns 30 today—and a very happy birthday to her!
Of course, one might be forgiven for thinking that Dunham's been around a little longer. At just 24 years old, the outspoken celeb wrote, directed and starred in Tiny Furniture, which led to a little wildly popular HBO series called Girls. Since then she's been nominated for three Emmys, won a Golden Globe, penned a best-selling memoir, advocated on the front lines of social justice issues and launched a weekly feminist newsletter. Quite a list of accomplishments for any woman, not just one in her 20s.
Back in October, she dished to Harper's Bazaar about some of the benefits of aging.
"I'm psyched about it because I think that being in your 20s—especially as a woman—there's an inherent tension. Ageism exists in all directions, but it isn't the sweet spot for being taken seriously in the workplace," she mused to the magazine.
Unlike those who might be content to rest on their laurels for a while after making such a splash, Dunham has kept pushing, pursuing new avenues through which to make an impact. "I'm just as excited for my experience and my age to catch up with each other," she added.
That's not to say Dunham won't take advantage of some well-deserved vacation time during the transition, though. With the end of Girls' six-season run just over the horizon, Dunham has a full-proof plan for embracing forthcoming change.
"I love [working] but it will also be exciting to chill out a little bit," Lena told the Independent. "It's not like I'm planning on taking a two-year vacation, but definitely shifting the pace of my life a little is really exciting."
In almost all of the instances where Lena has brought up turning 30, one overarching theme rings true every time. For the birthday girl, entering a new decade also means hitting the restart button professionally. Or as she puts it, starting with a "clean slate."
In interviews with both Late Night's Seth Meyers and Refinery 29, Dunham has returned to this notion, telling the latter, "I feel ready to turn my heart and soul and insides over to something else. It felt right to be turning 30 and moving into this decade with a clean slate."
But before fully embarking on yet another serious journey, Dunham advises to let loose and have a little fun. She also shared her before-30 bucket list with Refinery and the items include: "go skinny dipping with a bunch of your friends" (What? Lena? Never!), "do karaoke in a public place" and "travel by yourself."
Who wants to bet she ticked off all those items and has a new list for her 30s raring to go? Wishing Lena all the best on her next adventure!