President Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Pope John Paul II during a visit to the Vatican, June 2004

A March 2007 survey of Arab opinion conducted by Zogby International and the University of Maryland found that Bush was the most disliked leader in the Arab world.[323]

The Pew Research Center's 2007 Global Attitudes poll found that out of 47 countries, a majority of respondents expressed "a lot of confidence" or "some confidence" in Bush in only nine countries: Israel, India, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda.[324]

During a June 2007 visit to the mostly Islamic Eastern European nation of Albania, Bush was greeted enthusiastically. Albania has a population of 3.6 million, has troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the country's government is highly supportive of American foreign policy.[325] A huge image of the President now hangs in the middle of the capital city of Tirana flanked by Albanian and American flags.[326] The Bush administration's support for the independence of Albanian-majority Kosovo, while endearing him to the Albanians, has troubled U.S. relations with Serbia, leading to the February 2008 torching of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade.[327]

Post-presidencyGeorge and Laura Bush wave to a crowd of 1000 at Andrews Air Force Base before their final departure to Texas, January 20, 2009

Following the inauguration of Barack Obama, Bush and his family boarded a presidential helicopter typically used as Marine One to travel to Andrews Air Force Base.[328] Bush, with his wife, then boarded an Air Force Boeing VC-25 for a flight to a homecoming celebration in Midland, Texas. Because he was no longer President, this flight was designated Special Air Mission 28000, instead of Air Force One. After a welcome rally in Midland, the Bushes returned to their ranch in Crawford, Texas, by helicopter.[328] They bought a home in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, where they planned to settle down.[329]

Since leaving office, Bush has kept a relatively low profile.[330] However, he has made appearances at various events throughout the Dallas/Forth Worth area, most notably when he conducted the opening coin toss at the Dallas Cowboys first game in the team's new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.[331] An April 6, 2009, visit to a Texas Rangers game, where he gave a speech thanking the people of Dallas for helping them settle in (and specifically, the people of Arlington, where the game was held), was met with a standing ovation.[332]

His first speaking engagement occurred on March 17, 2009 in Calgary, Canada. He spoke at a private event entitled "A conversation with George W. Bush" at the Telus Convention Centre and stated that he would not criticize President Obama and hoped he succeeds, specifically stating, "[President Obama] deserves my silence."[333][334] During his speech, Bush announced that he had begun writing a book, which is expected to be published under the title Decision Points in 2010.[16] The book will focus on "12 difficult personal and political decisions" Bush faced during his presidency.[16]

Bush made a video-taped appearance on the June 11, 2009, episode of The Colbert Report during the show's trip to Baghdad, Iraq. Bush praised the troops for earning a "special place in American History" and for their courage and endurance. He joked that it would come in handy, saying, "I've sat through Stephen's stuff before," in reference to Colbert's performance at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association dinner as well as The Colbert Report's history of criticizing Bush's administration.[335]

On August 29, 2009, Bush, with his wife Laura, attended the funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy.[336]

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