Michelle Obama opened up to her “close friend” Melinda Gates about her transition out of the White House and recalled the new sense of freedom she felt.
The former first lady, 60, and the ex-wife of Microsoft billionaire Bill, 68, showed off their close bond as the pair discussed Michelle’s departure from the presidential household on a recent episode of Melinda’s podcast, Moments That Make Us.
Melinda, 59, praised her friend and said she was “lucky” to have her in her life before the mother of two noted it was “strange” to hear her doorbell ring after leaving the White House.
Michelle confessed that although it was “strange” for her to be in a house that was not the Presidential Palace, it was “good” for her to say goodbye to her time as a public servant.
She explained that after she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, decided to stay in Washington, D.C., despite not living in the White House for the sake of their daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23.
Michelle Obama opened up to her “close friend” Melinda Gates about her transition out of the White House and recalled the new sense of freedom she felt.
The former first lady, 60, and the ex-wife of Microsoft billionaire Bill, 68, showed off their close bond as the pair discussed Michelle’s departure from the presidential household on a recent episode of Melinda’s Moments That Make Us podcast.
Melinda celebrated Michelle’s appearance on the podcast in a new series of photos, which she shared with her Instagram account.
The two friends hugged each other and smiled from ear to ear for the snapshots.
Melinda looked as elegant as ever in a white and blue midi dress that was cinched at the waist with a belt.
Meanwhile, Michelle looked gorgeous in green as she sported a sleeveless utility dress and a pair of black sandals.
The Microsoft billionaire’s ex-wife captioned the snap: ‘I’m lucky enough to be able to call Michelle Obama a friend, and I had so much fun talking to her as part of my Moments That Define Us series.’
“She shared how it felt to leave the White House, how knitting reminds her of the importance of small actions, and why she strives to cultivate new friendships. I can’t wait for you to watch our conversation.”
And Michelle seemed to feel right at home while chatting with Melinda, as she didn’t hold back when it came time to leave.
She revealed: ‘The day after we left the White House, first of all we felt kind of weird because we were still living in DC. We made the decision to stay in Washington, DC, because the girls were in school and their lives were in DC.
Melinda was full of praise for her friend, saying she was “lucky” to have her in her life before the mother of two noted it was “strange” to hear her doorbell ring after leaving the White House.
And it seemed like Michelle felt right at home while chatting with Melinda, as she didn’t hold back when it was time to leave the White House.
‘I mean we had successfully raised them in DC, they had lived in the White House longer than anywhere else so I didn’t want to transition them just for a year or so and I knew that when Malia wanted to come home for the holidays, she would want to come home with her friends so we stayed in DC.’
In addition to detailing why they wanted to stay in DC, Michelle revealed details of the family’s final helicopter ride on Air Force One.
“It was weird, you take the last helicopter ride, “It was our last trip in the Air Force. We took a quick vacation to Palm Springs, so the day after we left DC we were somewhere else, so it felt like we were on vacation, but then when we got back to our new home it was weird,” he added.
Michelle confessed that it was difficult for them to adjust to life on a different street and a new sense of freedom, admitting that it was strange to hear their doorbell ring for the first time in years.
She said: ‘It was strange going 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 come up to visit us and ring the doorbell and our dogs didn’t know what a doorbell was.
‘So it was just the freedom of opening my own door, walking into my own kitchen, opening my back door on my own without calling the Secret Service and Being able to sit in the warm sunshine on a porch and listen to the sounds of the neighborhood and other dogs in the neighborhood.
Michelle added that it was a great achievement to have some sense of normality again.
She explained that after she and her husband and former President Barack Obama decided to stay in Washington, D.C.
Later in the clip, Michelle revealed that she and Barack were teaching their daughters how to be “independent young women.”
She admitted that once they left the White House, the family realized how “protected” they had been.
‘IWe really realized how much we had lived in a cocoon and how protected we were. The way we lived in the White House.
“It was a wonderful eight years, but it was very abnormal and I think that first day, in a new house, in a real community with neighbors and all that, was refreshing for me,” she explained.
Later in the clip, Michelle revealed that she and Barack were teaching their daughters how to be “independent young women.”
She explained that while raising her children, she often thought about how to “turn those two little people into valuable, valued human beings in the world.”
She added: “I never felt like my job was to create mini-me’s, or create people who were going to live inside me, fill some void or be my friend. As my daughters joke, I always said: My favorite line was, ‘I’m not one of your friends.'”
And while she said she did everything she could to raise her daughters to be great women, she added that her daughters always knew they were under a microscope.
‘There were certain limits. I had to raise them to be independent young women, especially being the daughters of a former president. But people are quick to dismiss a girl if she doesn’t present herself properly and has a name behind her. You have to be proper.’
And while she said she did everything she could to raise her daughters to be great women, she added that her daughters always knew they were under a microscope.
Michelle added: ‘They are being watched. They have had to learn to balance the unwanted attention, but to do so in a polite way. To build their own lives in the spotlight and not be swallowed up by it.
‘Well, those girls had to be smart, self-confident and independent from the start, even when they lived in a house with butlers, maids and flower girls.
‘But I raised them thinking, “You’re not going to live here with me forever. So soon I’ll have to hand your life over to you and let you manage it yourself.”
The Obama family moved into the White House in 2009 and left in 2017, after Barack had served two terms as president.
When they moved in, their daughters were eight and ten years old. While there, Malia and Sasha attended the private Sidwell Friends School until they graduated from high school.