Obama 'chokes up,' says goodbye to Chicago

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- An emotional Barack Obama said goodbye to his Chicago home and hello to Washington and what awaits him as the 44th U.S. president.

The Obamas' home for the next 10 days will be the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, before moving to Blair House on Jan. 15, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Monday. The family flew to Washington during the weekend -- wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha left Saturday and Obama Sunday -- so the first daughters could begin school Monday.

But leaving the Windy City was tough, Obama told reporters.

"Malia's friend had dropped off an album of the two of them together," Obama said Sunday before boarding a military aircraft used by the vice president. "They had been friends since pre-school, and I just looked through the pages, and the house was empty, and it was a little tough -- it got me. I gotta say I choked up a little bit leaving my house today."

Obama said he was looking forward to life in Washington -- even living in a hotel, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"Although living in a hotel for two weeks, we kind of did that for two years," he joked.

The inauguration is Jan. 20.