Former President Barack Obama has been living the dream ever since he left office more than a year ago.
From vacationing in exotic locations, to dancing at a Beyoncé-Jay Z concert, to negotiating a Netflix deal, Obama has been making the most of his post-presidency – and it’s hard not to feel a little nostalgic for the eight years he was in office.
Here’s a glimpse at the moments that made people love Obama, and show why many miss him now.
He was just the best with kids.
Foto: Obama pretends to be caught in Spider-Man’s web as he greets Nicholas Tamarin, 3, just outside the Oval Office on Oct. 26, 2012.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
From the littlest toddlers …
Foto: Obama walks with Lincoln Rose Pierce Smith, the daughter of former Deputy Press Secretary Jamie Smith, in the Oval Office, April 4, 2014.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
… to the tallest teenagers.
Foto: Obama walks on the South Lawn of the White House with participants of a mentee résumé workshop, Oct. 14, 2014.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
He even made time for tiny elephants.
Foto: Obama plays with Ella Rhodes, daughter of Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, in her elephant Halloween costume on Oct. 30, 2015.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
The affection he showed first lady Michelle Obama could melt anyone’s heart.
Foto: Obama removed his tuxedo jacket and put it over the shoulders of his wife. Then they had a semi-private moment as staff member and Secret Service agents tried not to look on their way to the Inaugural Ball on Jan. 20, 2009.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
And the moments they shared were some of the most iconic of his presidency.
Foto: Obama and Michelle hug after she introduced him at a campaign event in Davenport, Iowa on Aug. 15, 2012. The campaign tweeted a similar photo from the campaign photographer on election night and a lot of people thought it was taken on election day.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
Obama made fast friends with world leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Foto: German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks with Obama outside the Elmau castle in Kruen near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, June 8, 2015.sourceReuters/Michael Kappeler
And he was best buds with our neighbor to the north, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Foto: Obama meets with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Thursday, March 10, 2016, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.sourceAssociated Press/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
He even made friends with the Pope.
Foto: Obama laughs with Pope Francis during their meeting at the Vatican March 27, 2014.sourceReuters/Kevin Lamarque
This pope, too.
Foto: Obama receives a child dressed as the Pope Francis on the South Lawn of the White House during a Halloween trick-or-treating celebration in Washington on Oct. 30, 2015.sourceReuters/Carlos Barria
He could scowl with all the strength of an Olympian …
Foto: Obama jokingly mimics gymnast McKayla Maroney’s “not impressed” look while greeting members of the 2012 US Olympic gymnastics teams in the Oval Office, Nov. 15, 2012.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
… and tango with the skill of an Argentinian.
Foto: Obama dances tango during a state dinner hosted by Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri at the Centro Cultural Kirchner as part of President Obama’s two-day visit to Argentina, in Buenos Aires March 23, 2016.sourceReuters/Carlos Barria
He was always quick on his feet …
Foto: On a cold day, Obama races down the Colonnade with Denis McDonough’s children en route to the announcement that Denis would become the new Chief of Staff on Jan. 25, 2013.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
… no matter who his companion was.
Foto: Bo Obama runs alongside the President in an East Wing hallway on March 15, 2009.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
And he was known for keeping a cool head even in the oddest of situations.
Foto: A fly lands between Obama’s eyes while he speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, January 24, 2013.sourceReuters/Larry Downing
But he could turn up the heat when necessary, too.
Foto: Obama acts out the line “gnashed their terrible teeth” from the children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are” during the 136th annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington April 21, 2014.sourceReuters/Kevin Lamarque
Obama was never afraid to show a little emotion, whether it was his during his final presidential campaign rally …
Foto: Obama appears with tears on his cheek during remarks at his final presidential campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, November 5, 2012, on the eve of the US presidential elections.sourceReuters/Jason Reed
… or in his final weeks as president.
Foto: Obama wipes away tears while speaking during his farewell address at McCormick Place in Chicago, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017.sourceAssociated Press/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
He knew how important it was to honor civil rights history …
Foto: The Obamas join hands with Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., as they lead the walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches, in Selma, Ala., March 7, 2015.sourceWhite House/Lawrence Jackson
… and to be a role model to young black men everywhere.
Foto: Obama bends over so the son of a White House staff member can pat his head during a visit to the Oval Office on May 8, 2009 in Washington, DC.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
Obama always knew when to show the love, whether it was with his daughters …
Foto: Obama and his daughter Malia walk from Marine One to board Air Force One upon their departure from O’Hare Airport in Chicago April 7, 2016.sourceReuters/Kevin Lamarque
… or with his former rival-turned-secretary of state, Hillary Clinton …
Foto: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton hugs Obama as she arrives onstage at the end of his speech on the third night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 27, 2016.sourceReuters/Jim Young
… or even just with this very good boy.
Foto: Obama bends down to wait for his dog, Bo, to come towards him outside the Oval Office of the White House in Washington March 15, 2012.sourceReuters/Larry Downing
Obama was known for his viral moments — remember when his tan suit broke the internet?
Foto: In this Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014 file photo, Obama smiles as he takes questions in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington.sourceAssociated Press/Charles Dharapak
And like the rest of us, he swooned when Michelle got bangs.
Foto: The President sings “Happy Birthday” to the First Lady after greeting inaugural brunch guests in the Blue Room of the White House. Of course, the First Lady’s new hairstyle attracted a lot of attention on Jan. 27, 2013.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
He even had to try them out for himself.
Foto: Obama made light of his wife’s bangs with a mock picture of himself with the same hairdo in this humorous photo created by the White House shown at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington on April 27, 2013.sourceWhite House handout via Reuters
He had his fair share of awkward moments, too. Like that time he survived this complicated handshake.
Foto: Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Obama shake hands while posing for the family photo at the North American Leaders’ Summit in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, June 29, 2016.sourceReuters/Chris Wattie
And when he made this less-than-pleasant face with Putin.
Foto: Obama participates in a bilateral meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin during the G20 Summit, Monday, June 18, 2012, in Los Cabos, Mexico.sourceAssociated Press/Carolyn Kaster
And when he gave the limp-fish arm to Raul Castro.
Foto: In this March 21, 2016 file photo, Cuban President Raul Castro, right, lifts up the arm of Obama at the conclusion of their joint news conference at the Palace of the Revolution, in Havana, Cuba.sourceAssociated Press/Ramon Espinosa
But for the most part, Obama got along with just about everyone. And he always made time to pound it out —whether it was with soldiers …
Foto: In this handout provide by the White House, Obama receives a fist-bump from a US soldier as he greets hundreds of troops during his visit to Camp Victory on April 7, 2009 in Baghdad, Iraq.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
… or supporters …
Foto: Obama fist-bumps with a supporter in the crowd during a campaign rally at Veterans Memorial Park in Manchester, New Hampshire on Oct. 18, 2012.sourceReuters/Jason Reed
… or the White House custodian.
Foto: Obama fist-bumps custodian Lawrence Lipscomb in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building following the opening session of the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth, Dec. 3, 2009.sourceWhite House/Pete Souza
In the words of the 44th president, “Obama out!”
Foto: Obama says “Obama out!” and drops the mic at his final White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, April 30, 2016.sourceReuters/Yuri Gripas