Elodie Sumeire: 'Go for it! You're 1000x more capable than you think.'

Portrait of a former Parisian HR professional turned freelance nomad as a couple — who says out loud what many nomads don't dare to: the first months, she wasn't happy.

Elodie Sumeire is 34, has a career that doesn't fit in a straight line, and an honesty that cuts through the usual nomad narratives. Former corporate HR for nine years, she left her permanent job, France, and her certainties to become a freelance nomad — as a couple, with a boyfriend who has two world tours under his belt and a vision of travel diametrically opposed to hers. For over a year, they've been crossing the world together, from Africa to Latin America, fumbling, pivoting, and learning to find each other in what feels as much like an adventure as a permanent construction site.

9 years of employment, then the leap

Elodie didn't leave her permanent job on a whim. The desire had been there for a long time, but so had the fear — fear of financial insecurity, of failure, of what others would think. She needed to feel legitimate before going solo. Nine years in generalist HR, from Paris to Marseille, to build that foundation.

The turning point didn't come from travel. It came from a growing disconnect between her and the company she worked for, compounded by health weakened by a sedentary lifestyle.

«I no longer recognized myself in the values and the way things were done. My boyfriend, like me, wanted to leave everything behind. We aspired to real freedom on every level.»

The departure was a joint project. Him, spontaneous, used to the unexpected. Her, a planner, who refused to leave without a safety net. From day one, two visions of travel that clash — and never stop negotiating.

Africa, the dream that hits reality

They start with Africa. It's the continent that draws Elodie more than any other — an attraction she couldn't explain. But the reality of digital nomadism in Africa is brutal: short, expensive visas, unstable Wi-Fi, high cost of living, insecurity. They modify their plans repeatedly, lose a lot of money. After seven months, they capitulate and change continents.

«I'll go back, that's for sure! It'll just be in tourist mode rather than as a digital nomad, to fully appreciate the places I visit.»

Direction: Latin America. New time zone, new rules.

The first months, she wasn't happy

This is the sentence Elodie says without hesitation, and it's what makes her testimony different from all the others. The first months, nomadism didn't make her happy. Not because travel was disappointing — but because going from an open office to a screen alone, cut off from all direct social contact, on the other side of the world, was a shock she hadn't anticipated.

«I hadn't realized how much going from a hybrid office setup to full remote work abroad, cut off from all direct social contact, would impact me.»

Elodie is sociable. She loves interactions, stimulation, exchanges. And overnight, nothing. Professional isolation, she says, is harder than social loneliness. When you're in HR, you talk to everyone. When you're a freelance nomad in front of your screen in Mexico, you talk to your clients — and that's it.

Time did its work. She adapted, as she always has — wanting to be a vet, then a dancer, then ending up in HR, and finally freelance. Changes have been part of her life since high school. But this one required a longer adjustment period than the others.

Being two is also being alone

Nomadism as a couple, Elodie experiences without romanticism. Being together 24 hours a day in a country you don't know, with different rhythms and constraints, doesn't simplify anything.

«It would be lying to say that travel made our relationship easier. There are ups and downs, just like in normal daily life, but you have to give yourself more space and time. Because when you're together non-stop, you tend to forget yourself.»

But she adds, without contradiction: nomadism makes them grow. It teaches them compromise, resilience, communication. It's not a fairy tale — it's a maturity accelerator.

Pivot again, and again

Since her departure, Elodie's activity has evolved. AI consultant in HR, then recruiter, and professional training advisor. She accumulates, tests, adjusts. Her boyfriend tells her to focus on one thing to avoid spreading thin. She refuses — she'd go in circles.

«I see all of this as a search, a journey, rather than a frustration. And as long as my revenue keeps growing, I consider myself heading in the right direction.»

She works with clients in France from a time zone 7-8 hours apart. She, who was never a morning person, now gets up at 7am. Meetings in the morning, personal work in the afternoon. The trade-off: choosing her days, her schedule, without asking anyone's permission.

What she'd tell a woman who's hesitating

Elodie doesn't sell dreams. She won't say it's easy, that the couple holds together on its own, that the first month is magical. Her advice is pragmatic: anticipate constraints well with the person sharing your life, set achievable goals, and be kind to yourself.

And her anti-advice — the thing people think is true but isn't?

«Don't think you'll drown in the mass of digital nomads already out there. Nobody's waiting for you, but if you show what you're capable of, there will always be a place for you somewhere.»

If she could talk to the Elodie of a year ago, the one about to leave with her fears and doubts? She wouldn't hesitate for a second:

«Go for it! You're 1000x more capable than you think. And enjoy every moment, because you don't know how long you'll be able to live this life.»

This article is part of our series published for International Women's Rights Day 2026. At Hello Mira, we believe digital nomadism is better lived when shared — with locals, with other nomads, with those who dare. That's why we give a voice to women who live this adventure every day, with their doubts, their fights, and their vision.

This article is part of the Hello Mira series for International Women's Rights Day 2026. Discover our full investigation: the Hello Mira female nomadism survey.