A Chapter Comes to an End

As many of you already know, Ez and I have decided to end our business partnership and close up our Nice Package shops. I wish I had some dramatic story to share - something like how my partner and I had an all out brawl over how to package our glassine bags and then she had the nerve to say "you need to get a hobby". Fortunately, the reason for our shop closing falls nowhere near a Real Housewives of New York City episode (god I love that show). It's simply called life and sometimes we just have to roll with the punches. Ez has decided to move again and will be moving to Oklahoma in less than a week. Yes I'm devastated, but I know it's the right thing to do. It definitely was NOT an easy decision to make, actually that's a lie - it was an easy decision coz we didn't really have much of a choice. We toyed with the idea of running the business from two different locations but after further review, this proved to be a logistical nightmare. I guess it would be more accurate to say that it's the living-with-the-decision part that won't be easy. Nice Package has sort of been my life for the past six months. I can't even begin to imagine how life is going to be once we drop off the last batch of orders at the PO or when Ez no longer rings the bell at 9AM sharp signaling yet another busy and laughter-filled work day at Nice Package headquarters (aka my dining room).

By the way, I knew Ez from blogland but was formally introduced to her by our mutual friend Melis (who also lives in Maplewood). I think it's important to mention that Ez moved from California to NJ last summer in hopes of starting a brand new life for both her and her daughter. Unfortunately the move proved to be doomed from the start - from apartment issues, the harsh reality of winter taking its toll on a California girl, culture shock, to school bullying... believe me I could go on and on. It clearly was a bad match-up. I honestly think that if it weren't for our business, she would've headed outta here after week one, ok maybe week 2. You can read more about the specifics on her blog, but an unfortunate incident occurred at her daughter's school last week that broke the camel's back. We both knew in the back of our minds that she was eventually going to move by the end of the summer. So I was already mentally prepared and knew that we'd eventually have to rethink our business - what we hadn't planned on was having to decide what we were going to do so quickly.

If I wasn't expecting my first baby, I probably would've considered continuing the business on my own and if she wasn't running one of the most successful blogs in the universe I'm sure she would've kept the shops going. So, here we are again - another door that's about to close but I've become an expert at this whole closing door another one opens thing so I'm not too worried about it. It was such a great experience working on Nice Package, I've learned SO much from it and even gained a new friend in the process! You can't beat that!! So for now, I'm going to enjoy my second trimester, start working on seedlebug's room and will continue to embrace the ever-changing path that life seems to throw at me. Someone out there must know how quickly I get bored of things ;)

PS. (a very long one)
Yes, Ez's experience is unfortunate and I wish it would've been different for her. BUT I would be remiss if I didn't share my feelings about Jersey, specifically Maplewood which has been our home for the past year and a half. God I can't believe I'm about to defend Jersey... as much as I bitch and moan about our insane taxes, privatized garbage pick-ups, the cold/snow/wind and how much I miss the city and I hate driving blah blah blah - I have to say that Maplewood is a great town and Hillsy and I feel fortunate enough to be able to live here. If we could afford it, I think it would be a great place to raise a family. It's a 30-45 minute train ride from the city, uber family friendly, amazing parks, plenty of local groups to join and the houses are just my cup of tea - mostly older homes and lots of unique styles to choose from. The fences are low and my neighbors in particular have been nothing but super nice since we moved in. I also think it's important to note that as a minority, I've never ever felt uncomfortable walking around here (which is something that I'm very sensitive to). Although I don't have any kids in the school system, I know a handful of people that do and have nothing but good experiences to share and would be quite surprised to hear otherwise. Now I'm not saying it's a perfect town, I'm sure I can name a few more negatives but I can honestly say it's been good to us. So there, two points of view, two very different experiences and hopefully two happy endings.