Vanessa Hudgens Is 'Not One to Sit Around and Mope' After Austin Butler Split, Source Says

Vanessa Hudgens is happily embracing the single life after her split from longtime boyfriend Austin Butler.

PEOPLE confirmed earlier this month that Hudgens and Butler, who had been together since 2011, are over. Though she has yet to publicly address the breakup, Hudgens, 31, has remained active on social media, documenting her fun-filled days on set and nights out in New York City — and even a new tattoo!

A source tells PEOPLE that the actress has “been spending a lot of time with her mom and sister and her girlfriends.”

“The breakup isn’t easy, but she’s not one to sit around and mope,” the source says. “She’s living it up and having fun. She seems really happy and excited about life, honestly.”

As for what went wrong with Butler? According to the source, “Vanessa and Austin’s relationship had been slowly fading — it was one of those things where you don’t even realize it’s happening.”

Hudgens and Butler, who will play Elvis Presley in an untitled biopic that’s currently in pre-production, had been long-distance as they filmed projects in different countries.

Butler, 28, most recently appeared in the Oscar-nominated Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, while Hudgens stars in Bad Boys for Life opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

One insider previously told PEOPLE that throughout their nearly nine-year relationship, the couple discussed taking the next big step together.

“They had talked about an engagement before they split up,” the insider said, but “busy work schedules and travel definitely put a strain on the relationship. They were a wonderful couple and it’s really sad that it didn’t work out.”

Earlier this week, Hudgens was photographed dining with Los Angeles Lakers player Kyle Kuzma, 24, at Lilia, a popular Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. The next night, she cheered on Kuzma at the Lakers’ game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

And on Thursday, after posting three sexy black-and-white boudoir shots of herself, she showed off her new ink: a sunflower on her torso, courtesy of renowned tattoo artist Dragon of New York City’s Bang Bang Tattoo.

“And to conclude our #ThirstyThursday,” she captioned the post. ‘Hahahahaha.”