Two years ago I realized I could not remain where I was. Physically or emotionally.

It was not easy. I knew it may mean the end of my marriage and that ending is in process.

But I had remained in an actual physical environment for several years that was toxic for my soul. And I wonder now toxic actually health-wise with mold and poor water quality.

I’ve lived all over the country and I feel blessed that I’ve truly experienced places. I know many times, a town can point a pretty good show for tourists. Be charming and the like for a long holiday weekend. But to actually live there and do the grocery shopping, attend the schools, be part of the community… or attempt to be part of the community, you learn how a place truly lives.

Whether that shiny coat they adorn for visitors is actually rotted inside. Or worse, soulless.

That’s what I left. A soulless place. I don’t know when it became that way. Too many natural disasters. Too many manmade ones.

But I’ve learned about myself I cannot thrive in a soulless place. Can anyone?

For October, I’m writing in conjunction with 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes and each post is written in five minutes flat.