Michelle Obama reveals best part about leaving the White House during podcast with Melinda Gates
WASHINGTON, DC: Michelle Obama has offered an intimate look into her post-White House life, sharing her experiences with her close friend Melinda Gates on a recent episode of the podcast 'Moments That Make Us.'
The former First Lady, at 60, discussed the emotional shift from living in the presidential residence to a more typical lifestyle, emphasizing the fresh sense of liberty and the period of adjustment that accompanied it.
Michelle Obama and Melinda Gates discuss Michelle's exit from WH
In their heartfelt conversation, Michelle Obama and Melinda Gates, 59, demonstrated their profound connection. Melinda effusively praised her friend and shared how fortunate she feels to have Michelle in her life, according to Hello Magazine.
The podcast episode, brimming with warmth and laughter, delved into different facets of Michelle's life after the White House, including the surreal moment she heard a doorbell ring for the first time in years.
Reflecting on her exit from the White House, Michelle acknowledged that it felt both strange and liberating to bid farewell to her role as First Lady.
She shared that she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, chose to remain in Washington, DC, for the benefit of their daughters, Malia, aged 26, and Sasha, aged 23.
“We made the decision to stay in Washington, DC, because the girls were in school and their lives were in DC,” she shared.
Melinda celebrated Michelle's appearance on the podcast by posting a series of delightful photos on her Instagram account.
Melinda Gates and Michelle Obama shared their experiences
The two friends beamed with joy as they hugged, exuding elegance. Melinda Gates was clad in a fashionable white and blue midi dress, neatly belted at the waist, while Michelle Obama shone in a sleeveless green utility dress, complemented by black sandals.
"I’m lucky to call Michelle Obama a friend,” Melinda wrote in the caption. “She shared what it felt like to transition out of the White House, how knitting reminds her of the importance of small actions, and why she makes a point to cultivate new friendships.”
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Michelle shared her feelings about the surreal experience of leaving the White House, recounting their final helicopter ride on Air Force One
“It was strange, you take the final helicopter ride, our very last ride on Air Force One. We took a quick vacation to Palm Springs, so the day after we were out of DC, we were in another place so it felt like we were on vacation but then when we came back to our new home, it was odd,” she recounted.
Adapting to life on a new street while embracing an unfamiliar sense of freedom was simultaneously thrilling and demanding.
Michelle confessed, “It was odd coming down a different street and parking through a different set of barricades — because we still had barricades, we still had Secret Service — but I had a front door that I could open where people would walk up to visit and ring the doorbell, and our dogs didn’t know what a doorbell was.”
She remarked that returning to a semblance of normalcy was a "huge" deal, and it made her realize how "sheltered" their existence had been within the White House.
In the conversation, Michelle also offered insights on raising her daughters, highlighting the significance of teaching them to be “stand-up young people on their own.”
She said, “I never felt my job was to create mini-mes or create people who were going to live out some brokenness in me or fill some hole or to be my friend. As my girls joke, I always said — my favorite line was, ‘I’m not one of your little friends.’”
Michelle Obama emphasizes challenges her daughters faced as children of former president
Michelle Obama discussed the distinctive challenges her daughters encountered as the children of a former president, emphasizing, “They are watched. They had to learn how to balance the unwanted attention, but do it politely. To build their own lives in the spotlight and not be eaten up by it.”
Living in the luxurious White House, Michelle made certain that Malia and Sasha grasped the significance of being independent and self-reliant.
“But I was raising them thinking, ‘You’re not going to live here and with me, forever. So I’ve got to hand you your life soon and let you manage it,’” she explained.
The Obama family moved into the White House in 2009 when Malia and Sasha were just eight and ten years old. They left in 2017 after Barack Obama completed his two presidential terms.
During their time in the White House, Malia and Sasha attended the prestigious Sidwell Friends School, growing up in the public eye while being grounded by their parents' consistent guidance.
Online reactions to Michelle Obama's post-White House reflections spark mixed responses
As soon as the news surfaced on the Daily Mail's platform, users started reacting to it.
A user wrote talking about Michelle Obama, "Hopefully she’ll enjoy that freedom for the rest of her life."
Another user added, "She's got no intention of wanting to go back in there."
A commentator wrote, "I was very happy that day. finally."
"Interestingly, I was also pleased to see her leave the WH. Who says we can’t agree??" One remarked.
A person wrote, "Yes, now stay out of it."
Another chimed in, "Newfound freedom? She's been out of the WH since January 2017. Newfound????"
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