It’s been a while. I took about two weeks off from the 100 Happy Days challenge. It started feeling like a chore, and I didn’t feel much enjoyment or fulfillment out of doing this. I’m back at it, but I’ll drop the photo aspect for most the posts. I found writing the captions by far the most enjoyable part of this challenge, so I’ll focus on writing a short paragraph about something that makes me happy every day. It’s tough to capture thoughts and feelings through the lens, so I think I’ll enjoy this much more. Here we go!

Today is the 15th anniversary of Alicia Keys’ first album, Songs in A Minor. Hands down, no question, my all-time favorite album. About two years ago I first heard her singles and famous hits like “No one” and “Girl on fire” from her more recent albums, but one day I dug deeper into all her albums and discovered this gem: Songs in A Minor. A perfect blend of soul, r&b, and jazz. There one very famous song on the album called “Fallin'”, which is admittedly spectacular, but the lesser known tracks are on par as well! A few of my favorites are:

• Piano & I
• Troubles
• Jane Doe
• The Life
• Butterflyz
• Why Do I Feel so Sad

Alicia Keys was merely 19 when this album dropped. 19!!! Mind-blowing. Relevant and still incredible 15 years later. I’ve been jamming to this all day long.