As I get older, I find American history interesting these days, and I suddenly became curious.

Do the President of the United States actually sleep, eat, shower, and watch dramas in the White House? And is it really comfortable to live there?

The White House is often thought of merely as an administrative building, but in reality, it is the actual residence of the President of a country.

Since President John Adams moved in for the first time in 1800, it has been used as the 'official address' of the President of the United States. The address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C. If you look it up on a map app, it appears to be just an ordinary neighborhood. Of course, except for the 'security.'

From the outside, the White House looks like just a white house, but once you go inside, the story is different. There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, 3 elevators, and 5 kitchens. It really rivals a hotel. So when you ask, "Is it comfortable for the President to live there?"... um... absolutely comfortable.

But comfort is not everything.

Is it really a 'home'?

Shouldn't a home be a place where you can comfortably lie down, order chicken delivery, and sip coffee in the backyard?

But the White House is... well, I don't know. It's excessively an 'official space.' As soon as you wake up in the morning, an aide comes in saying, "Mr. President, there is a briefing," and in the afternoon, there are diplomatic meetings, and in the evening, press conferences. The living room feels more like a waiting room for reporters than a living room.

Even the President can walk the lawn in the backyard (the famous South Lawn) or walk the dog, but even then, snipers are watching from the roof.

You can't even comfortably clean up after the dog.

So, is the food good?

There is a dedicated team of chefs at the White House. Not just any chefs, but the best chefs in America.

They customize meals according to the President's family's tastes, health, and even the food for diplomatic guests. For example, Obama liked healthy food, so kale, salmon, and quinoa often appeared. Trump preferred hamburgers and well-done steak, so there were many traditional American meat dishes.

And there is a separate wine cellar in the basement of the White House, along with its own herb garden. It is also famous that Michelle Obama grew vegetables in the garden during her time as First Lady. So the food is very good. However, it would be difficult to comfortably say, "How about chicken and beer today?" and order it alone, because that chicken would have been prepared by someone after a briefing.

So, is it comfortable for the President to live there?

To summarize, it goes like this.

✔ The bed is probably soft.
✔ The food will be Michelin-star quality.
✔ The shower will come from a high-end showerhead.
✔ But... someone might be watching secretly.

The President is the highest authority in the country, but at the same time, they live the most uncomfortable life. There is almost no privacy inside the house, and not even a single hair is a secret. It wouldn't be easy for the President's children to secretly invite friends over or lie on the couch watching dramas.

And since the White House is old, renovations are continuously needed. In the past, the sewage system got clogged, and during President Kennedy's time, the floor sagged, leading to construction because they thought, "This house might collapse." Recently, they have also replaced the heating and cooling systems and upgraded the internet. (However, there are rumors that the Wi-Fi doesn't work well.)

Interestingly, how do former Presidents remember the White House?

Most say, "It's a beautiful and wonderful place, but I would never want to live there again."

On the surface, the White House is a perfect 'home,' but in reality, it is the most unofficial 'official space' intertwined with surveillance, tension, politics, and strategy.

Your body may be comfortable, but your mind can never be at ease in that house. That is the White House.

So the next time you see the President on screen greeting with a serious face, don't be too harsh on them.

They are just a worker who wakes up in the morning to listen to briefings and worries about 'what will happen tomorrow' while eating steak in the evening.