People.com Politics The Obamas Head to Hawaii For Their Annual Christmas Trip The former first family is making their annual holiday trip to Hawaii, where Barack Obama spent most of his childhood By Virginia Chamlee Virginia Chamlee Politics Writer - PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 23, 2021 10:08 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Barack Obama. Photo: The image Direct Barack and Michelle Obama are enjoying their annual sunny holiday stay in Hawaii, continuing a decades-long family tradition of celebrating Christmas in the place where the former president grew up. On Saturday, the former president was photographed swimming in the Pacific Ocean, while the couple's daughters — 20-year-old Sasha and 23-year-old Malia — were spotted nearby, relaxing on stand-up paddleboards. This year's vacation comes as Sasha is currently on winter break from the University of Michigan and Malia is navigating life as a college graduate, after graduating from Harvard University in the spring. Barack Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Chicago YMCA He Used to Frequent When Sasha and Malia Were 'Itty-Bitty' The trip also comes at a turbulent time for the country, which is grappling with the omicron variant of COVID-19. Earlier this week, 57-year-old Michelle appeared in an ad alongside several celebrity moms, urging people to get vaccinated. During the onset of COVID-19 in the U.S., Sasha and Malia spent more time at home — which was frustrating at times, but also brought the family closer. "This time has allowed us to get some stolen moments back with our girls," Mrs. Obama previously told PEOPLE. "Those recaptured moments have meant the world to us and I think they've made our relationships with our children even stronger." A Look Back at the Obama Family's Hawaii Christmases The Obamas have made periodic trips to Hawaii for years, previously enjoying everything from the Honolulu Zoo to area animal parks to basketball games and rounds of golf. The former president, now 59, was raised in the Aloha State for most of his childhood, moving to Los Angeles after high school, and eventually finishing his studies at Columbia University in New York City and, later, Harvard University in Boston. His his first trip to the mainland U.S. came when he was about 11 years old and flew to the U.S. with his mother, grandmother and 2-year-old sister, Maya, for a road trip across the country. Obama recalled that trip on an episode of his Renegades podcast with friend and co-host Bruce Springsteen, saying he was "just thinking, 'Man, imagine where you can go. You can go anywhere, and by implication, you can do anything and be anybody.' "