美国前第一夫人Laura Bush访谈

Nearly a year after leaving Washington, former president George W. Bush and his wife Laura Bush are still adjusting to life after the White House, but they are adjusting very well. I recently sat down with the former First Lady to talk about their new life and their new home in Dallas.

-Now that you are back home in Texas, does it feel like a million miles away from Washington?

-It really does. There truly is, not that I ever felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, or that George did when I lived there -- but when it was gone, I could notice it.

-Because you feel lighter?

-And there's a great feeling of freedom.

She may be a former First Lady, but Laura Bush is still as busy as ever--writing her memoir, giving speeches and acting as chairwoman of the Dallas Performing Arts Center where we sat down to talk about life these days.

-That first morning that you woke up in Texas and President Bush wasn't president anymore. What did he say?

-Well, I remember the first night that we arrived at the ranch. We could tell things were different when George was out in the garage putting away the...everything that came off the car-you know, we no longer had the people that were helping do that.

-No one do this for you.

-The next morning, making our own coffee and all the things we hadn't done. But it's really, you know, it's terrific.

In addition to this new, state-of-the-art performance center, Mrs. Bush continues to be involved in a variety of causes.

-I know that you are still very passinate about education and women's health. Do you find that it's more difficult now to promote those as a former First Lady?

-Well, I mean, certainly, the formers don't have quite the podium that the First Lady does. But I still have a podium. I was the honorary chairman of the Komen Race for the Cure that was here in Dallas.

-How do you think Mrs. Obama is using her podium as First Lady?

-Well, I think very well. I noticed she was hula hooping. I saw that on television. And I think she's got some really good messages that she can get out to young people and to women everywhere. I know she will learn, if she doesn't already know, what a really big podium she has.