Obama's trip: A lot to carry

The last time Barack Obama was in Europe, the then-presumptive Democratic nominee wowed an estimated 200,000 people with a speech in Berlin. While it became "celebrity" fodder for the McCain campaign in the U.S., it was such a success there that an opinion piece in Der Spiegel following the speech was titled, "No. 44 Has Spoken." But this time, the president really has his work cut out for him. Facing a global economic crisis and hoping to drum up support for his new Afghan strategy, the trip is a hefty test of a new president's leadership skills on a world stage.

Obama will be visiting five countries in eight days, attending no less than three summits — the G20 in London, NATO in Strasbourg and EU-US in Prague — and will be meeting with numerous world leaders. David Axelrod, a senior advisor to Obama, told The New York Times:

"This is not about theatrics, it's not about optics, it's not about politics. The world has a lot of problems right now. It's much more than a political event."

But while the stakes are high, there's certainly some politiking going on. What Obama does when he gets there is of utmost importance, but there's been plenty of prep work to get the president and first lady on their way. Ever had trouble finding the perfect gift for your host? So has the White House. The Daily Telegraph explains:

The White House is attempting to pick out an appropriate gift for the Queen that will reflect her long-standing links to the U.S., a Washington official told The Sunday Telegraph. The choice of present is the subject of intense scrutiny after Mr. Brown received a box set of DVDs during his trip to Washington earlier this month — a gift widely seen as a snub to the leader of America's closest ally.

Meanwhile, the Guardian lists the extensive logistical difficulties it takes to get a president and first lady across the ocean. In addition to 200 Secret Service agents, Obama's oft-discussed armored limo — The Beast — as well as Marine One (and a few decoy copters) will be making appearances.

In addition, a team from the White House kitchen will travel with the president to prepare his food. As one official put it: "When the president travels, the White House travels with him, right down to the car he drives, the water he drinks, the gasoline he uses, the food he eats."

It's no surprise that Michelle Obama has been quite the draw herself ... and her staff has been busy preparing  for what's ahead. Comparisons to President John and Jacqueline Kennedy's famous trip to Paris have already been trotted out. Will Obama be more than the man who accompanied Michelle Obama to Europe? And much has been made about the first wives and female leaders who are heading to G20. Politico points out that every move (and outfit) will be scrutinized: French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was able to change public opinion about her "rock-n-roll past" with a visit to the Queen of England:

"She was so elegant in her Chanel and the way she did her curtsy in front of the Queen, she was elegant," Renaud Girard, a foreign editor with Le Figaro said. "She was so modest. The British public loved it. They became mad with her and she became instantly a new Jackie."

Amid all of the meetings and summits, hopefully the president and first lady will find a little time to enjoy themselves. While Bush's final trip as president to Europe in 2008 was full of roundtables and talks, he also had some fun. While staying with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bush called Schloss Meseberg "a great place to ride a bicycle" and raved that he left Rome "with a little extra culture — and a little fatter."

While there are plenty of great, timeless moments in these international trips, one thing that many U.S. presidents also provide is a harmless blunder or two. Whether it's an upset stomach, a locked door, or a fight to stay awake at a summit, one thing's for sure: The world will be watching.

-Sarah Parsons

**Yahoo! News bloggers compile the best news content from our providers and scour the Web for the most interesting news stories so you don't have to.