Obama's first speech since leaving office ripped out his supporters' hearts all over again

At long last, former President Barack Obama has made his triumphant return to the public eye.

After taking off a few months post-presidency to just sort of lounge around on island time and kitesurf with Richard Branson, Obama turned up at the University of Chicago on Monday to deliver a speech on "community organizing and civic engagement," according to CNN. 

"So, uh, what's been going on while I've been gone?" Obama joked with the crowd.

The relieved laughter that rippled through the audience also spread to Twitter, where users rejoiced at the prospect of having the 44th president back in the continental United States.

Of course, not everyone greeted Obama's return with the same enthusiasm.

According to CNN, Obama's comments were part of his pledge to use his time out of office to "encourage and support the next generation of leaders."

The roundtable discussion, which featured six students but did not allow questions from the audience, tackled topics ranging from post-truth reality to political polarization.