In the December issue of Vogue, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about her time winding down in the White House.

"You know, there are little... moments. Even today I was looking out at this view here." She gestures to the windows.

"Looking out on the South Lawn and the Washington Monument and it had just rained and the grass was really green and everything popped a little bit more. It's soooo beautiful. And for that moment I thought, I’m going to miss waking up to this, having access to this anytime I want."

"But on the flip side... it’s time. I think our democracy has it exactly right: two terms, eight years. It’s enough. Because it’s important to have one foot in reality when you have access to this kind of power. The nature of living in the White House is isolating. And I think Barack and I, because we’re kind of stubborn, we’ve maintained some normalcy, mostly because of the age of our kids. I go out to dinner with my girlfriends; I go to Sasha’s games; Barack has coached a little basketball with Sasha’s team. But at the same time, when you can’t walk into CVS?

"When you’re not engaged in the day-to-day struggles that everybody feels, you slowly start losing touch. And I think it’s important for the people in the White House to have a finger on the pulse."