Our Story

So nice to meet you!! We are the Schmirl Girls; A mother-daughter trio full of wanderlust. Our story began in 2019 when Sarah started talking about selling the house and traveling for a year. It took an entire year to convince Lily (then almost 15) that it was a good plan. Then Covid hit in 2020… so here we are in 2021, putting our house on the market, Taking off in 2023 and figuring out as we go!!

We started an Instagram and our little The Girls Nomad blog to throw it out to the Universe in hopes that our dreams would manifest into reality. We have a goal to set foot on every continent and see all that we can see, make memories and find appreciation for the life and world around us. Covid gave us such a unique opportunity to slow down and appreciate the life we’re living. Now we’re striving every day to thrive, instead of just survive until the weekend!

Thanks for participating in our journey!

FOLLOW THE ADVENTURE ON INSTAGRAM: @THEGIRLSNOMAD

Sarah

Hey Y’all. I’m Sarah. I grew up an Army brat. Born in Arizona, grew up in Europe, but a Southern Girl at heart. I did my internship in the UK when I was in College. I was blessed to have always had an opportunity to travel and I want to give my girls that opportunity as well.

I work as a Product Owner for a FinTech and own a Wedding Planning business on the side. Covid made a huge dent in the wedding industry but gave me space to focus on traveling. Maybe I can’t handle too much free time on my hands and this hairbrained idea was a product of all the downtime Covid brought!

I love yoga and meditation. I love meeting new people. I can talk to anyone about anything. I also love live music, photography, gardening and anything on the water. I was extremely close to my parents and wish they could be here to share make these memories with us. They were the most adventurous people I’ve ever known and would love every minute of it! Y’all should have heard their stories from the places they lived! My #1 Destination: Petra (or Morocco)

FOLLOW SARAH ON INSTAGRAM: @SCHMIRLGIRL

Lily

Hey, I’m Lily. I’m the more introverted of the three of us. It takes me awhile to get out of my comfort zone and I thought my Mom was absolutely crazy for wanting to sell the house and just move. Not having a plan makes me really nervous, but I love to travel and am so excited for this!

I was a Sophmore in HS when Covid hit. Since nothing was remotely fun about school and we were all distance learning anyway, I decided to double up on my classes and graduate a year early. Since we didn’t have a chance to do all the traditional college visits I’ll be taking classes online until we leave, and through our travels. I want to do something in the medical field. Originally I wanted to be an Orthopedic Surgeon but I’m starting to consider something in the therapy field. I struggle with anxiety and I’d like to help other people. I also think it would be interesting to learn how my brain works. I might consider a study abroad program and if I can get into an English speaking school while we’re traveling I might just stay!

I’m kind of a homebody. I love to travel but miss sleeping in my own bed. This will definitely be challenging at times, especially if I have to share a room with my sister. I’ll be helping my Mom homeschool Mira and will transfer to Colorado State soon! My #1 Destination: New Zealand

FOLLOW LILY ON INSTAGRAM : @LILYNTOUSKAS

Mira

Hello! Hola! Bonjour! I’m Mira. My Mom and Sister call me Meer-Kat, Mir-Mir, Mira Nora and Sassy Pants. Pretty much since Day 1 my Mom has been dragging me around. I was born in a Blizzard… which is really unusual weather for Virginia. My sister got snowed in with us at the hospital. I came home on Valentine’s Day and have been a little Love Bug ever since.

I was only a couple weeks old when my Mom took me on a hike and I wasn’t quite 2 when I went on my first International trip. I love flying. I really LOVE to swim, dance, sing and roller skate. Most of all I love playing with my friends. I make friends everywhere we go, even if we don’t always speak the same language.

I’m super independent and everyone says I’m my Mom’s mini. I’ve been Jet Skiing, Parasailing, Horseback Riding, Snorkeling, Free diving with sharks, dune riding in the desert and want to start my own YouTube channel. My #1 Destination: The Savanna

FOLLOW MIRA ON INSTAGRAM : @MIRA_NORA_N

The Dogs

We have a crazy motley crew with our dogs! They vary in personality as much as they do size!

Buster is our 16 year old Corgi mix. He’s definitely the most vocal of the 3. He might be old and the smallest but he has the biggest voice, and the biggest heart. He’s the most loyal, loving and steadfast dog you could ever ask for! He was adventure dog #1 with hikes and car rides. Now he prefers someplace cushy… unless there are marshmallows involved. **update sadly we had to put Buster down in 2021 but can’t bear to take him off our page. We miss him so!

Cooper is our 6 year old German Short Haired Pointer. He’s our most adventurous and water loving dog. Doesn’t matter what kind of water!! From smelly ponds to pristine rivers to alligator infested lagoons to huge waves at the beach… he wants in it! Of course we don’t let him in the gator filled waters. He’s also the emotional support dog to Nancy and is working on learning to balance on a paddle board. Coop is lightening fast and loves to run. He’s afraid of fireworks… like no joke… ask us sometime about that one Fourth of July…

Nancy is our 6 year old Great Dane rescue. We brought her home from the beach in 2019. We went to “look” at her puppies and came home with this big mama!! She was mal-nourished, had 14 pups and afraid of EVERYTHING. She would only go to Lily and Mira for the first 6 months. She still sleeps with Mira every night. These two are like Timmy and Lassie. Inseparable and always touching. Nancy is still nervous around new people, especially men but is quickly becoming adventurous. She sits in the car like a human, has been camping, stayed at a hotel and has the funniest personality.