“Clarinda, Iowa, is a pretty small town, with a population of about 5,500. I lived there until I was 25, then I decided to spread my wings and see what the city had to offer.”
Jordan Pirtle has a knack for seeming to fit in exactly where she is, regardless of the environment. From performing with the Omaha Wind Symphony in formal wear to sawdust-covered denim working in her makeshift woodworking studio, Pirtle is always in her element.
“As long as I have a community that shares in what I’m passionate about, I’m going to fully enjoy my life every day,” she said.
As a post-secondary education professional, Pirtle cuts a serious figure. A consummate professional and vigilant advocate with a passion for making a difference for each student, her down time is sacred—and she spends it well.
“My dad rode motorcycles when I was growing up, so I was around them a lot,” she explained. “I decided that as a gift to myself for getting my graduate degree and my first teaching job, I’d buy myself a bike. It was the first that was mine, but I’ve always had a fascination for them. People who only know me professionally are always so surprised to find I ride a Harley. I think everyone has their own preconceived notion of what a motorcyclist looks like.
“When I first started riding, I didn’t have much of a community to ride with,” she added. “Nobody I was friends with had any interest, so I decided I would just put myself out there. You meet the coolest people on a motorcycle, and it wasn’t long before everything kind of snowballed. These people became my closest friends and are the first to offer help to each other when any kind of need arises. I guess there’s just a shared spirit there when you find your people. For us, we have this common thread of danger, excitement, and a kind of therapy when you’re on a motorcycle. The noise, the focus—it’s really meditative.”
The first member Pirtle added to her new chosen family was a chance encounter in 2005 with a girl on the back of a bike. “There wasn’t really social media back then or any really easy way of connecting with a person from a different town you’ve only shared a few sentences with, but I knew she was someone I wanted in my life, so I got a little creative about how to re-approach her,” Pirtle recalled.
“I got a knock on my door and there Jordan was in full formal wear,” Sara Skidmore Smith recalled of reconnecting with the woman who eventually became her best friend. “She was performing with the Omaha Wind Symphony and looked absolutely beautiful, but not like someone you expect to say ‘Hey, wanna go for a Harley ride?’
“At the time, I was only riding on the back of my then-husband’s bike,” Smith said. “Jordan really encouraged me to start taking some adventures of my own and would invite me out to ride after work every week. We live really far apart, but she prioritized our time and taught me to prioritize myself and the people who make me a better person. You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with, and Jordan is really the most thoughtful, well-rounded person I’ve ever met.
“Until Jordan, I didn’t have girlfriends. But she’s a natural networker, and everyone she’s brought into my life has been just as powerful and positive as she is. She doesn’t tolerate drama, and has built the most incredible network of amazing women,” Smith beamed.
That network grew into 15 years of adventures together, from short, local rides to long, cross-country expeditions. Pirtle constantly grows and empowers her community, whether she’s passing through a town on her bike or leading a group fitness class. No matter where she is or what she’s doing, Pirtle finds her people, her peace, and pure joy.
To learn more about Jordan’s joyful life, visit her website at HarleysandHeels.com.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
