'Bye, Felicia': Michelle Obama recalls her feelings over leaving the White House

Michelle Obama reveals her thoughts as she boarded Airforce One for the last time.

Michelle Obama was on Jimmy Fallon's “Tonight Show” on 18 December and she had her host and his audience in stitches.

The former First Lady is living a great moment, with her memoir, "Becoming," which was launched on November 13 and became the best-selling book in the US for the year 2018 after only two weeks.

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REMEMBERING HER WHITE HOUSE DAYS

Fallon and Michelle discussed her book, and the talk show host brought the conversation around to her last day "on the job."

He showed Michelle a photo of herself and husband Barack Obama boarding Airforce One for the last time, and asked her what she had been thinking at that moment.

Michelle cried out spontaneously:

"Bye, Felicia!"

When Fallon asked her about how she felt envisioned the future for the United States, Michelle described herself as "optimistic" and hopeful.

BIDDING THE WHITE HOUSE GOODBYE WITH A HAPPY GRIN

Michelle was quoting a popular movie starring rapper Ice Cube called "Friday". In the movie, Cube's character, Craig, is talking to a notoriously freeloading neighborhood girl called Felicia.

Felicia tries to borrow his car and hit him up for a joint, and Craig sneers at her dismissively: "Bye, Felicia!"

The term has become synonymous with leaving something or someone who has become a burden behind.

MICHELLE SHARES HER HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

When Fallon asked her about how she felt envisioned the future for the United States, Michelle described herself as "optimistic" and hopeful:

“I am because, Jimmy, everywhere I go I get to see young people and we owe young people that optimism, that hope, because what’s the alternative?”

Michelle Obama told the audience that "there is a reason for hope," and that there are always dark days to soldier through.

Wise woman that she is, Michelle Obama knows that the dark days make the good times even sweeter.

OBAMA AND THE INAUGURATION DAY GIFT DEBACLE

Michelle Obama talked about the awkward moment on Inauguration Day when she was caught out by Melania Trump handing her a gift on the White House steps.

The gift-giving was outside protocol, and Michelle had no-one to hand the gift to for the traditional photograph on the White House steps with the incoming Presidential couple.

The moment was saved by Barack Obama's quick thinking. The former President whisked the pretty blue Tiffani box out of Michelle's hands and took it inside the White House.

He was back in seconds and the two couples posed for the photograph unencumbered by the gift.

In a related story, British journalist Piers Morgan berates Michelle Obama for mocking Melania Trump over Inaugural Day gift.