Student Outlook -- Lea Alfi

I’ve grown up in Costa Mesa, and in about 12 weeks, I and hundreds of

seniors will be leaving the comfort of Costa Mesa for college towns, new

havens for young adults (and yes, that was an allusion).

So how do I feel about this change, this newfound independence,

distance? Am I ready to trade in my Daily Pilot for a local paper of

unknown caliber? My Los Angeles Times for the New York Times? My

flip-flops for snow boots?

I, like many lost souls, searched for answers. So my search didn’t

prove fruitful -- minor setback. I instead reflected on my city. It was

trash day and I really do appreciate the city’s classy green trash cans

with the catchy slogan, “Working for You!!!” It’s nice to know someone

has my best interests in mind and, believe you me, sanitation is in

everyone’s best interest.

And then it hit me like a (insert preferred metaphor, raging bull, ton

of bricks, angry housewife, etc.). I was going to miss a lot about this

city. For you youngens reading this, always remember “a lot” is a dead

word and shouldn’t be used in respectable writing. Thanks, Mr. Klooster.

First on my miss list: Harbor Boulevard. I mean the cars are enough of

a selling point, but they support education. The actual street is doing

this. The street for goodness sakes. They have donated money to local

schools, ensuring that upon reaching my high school reunion, my school

will not be decrepit and downtrodden.

Also on the much-lionized boulevard are my favorite all-American

eateries: multiple Starbucks (mocha coconut frapuccino is amazing),

Baskin-Robbins, Gina’s Pizza (get the lunch special, their Italian

dressing is superb), wow, the list is absolutely infinite. There really

is a great variety of foods in this city and while my world does not

revolve about food, I do enjoy Pizza D, the Gypsy Den, Frank’s (have you

tried the chicken cheese steak?) and, of course, my absolute favorite,

Wahoo’s.

I’ll also miss Valerie on one of these local channels. She’s a city

celebrity so mentioning her is only appropriate. Speaking of television,

for those of you who tune in to Channel 67, I have two questions: Why is

there a continual feed from NASA on this supposed Costa Mesa High School

channel? And, how can you not enjoy the parts where you’re staring at a

still shot of space? It’s so cool.

Costa Mesa is near everything even remotely cool: South Coast Plaza,

Orange Coast College, the Performing Arts Center, the fair and the swap

meets. When I drive through this city, I like how at a red light I

usually see an acquaintance and nice landscaping.

Plus, Costa Mesa is diverse and this attribute has prepared the

aforementioned college bound for the real world. On a different note, I

will also miss Ice Chalet, but no wait, some genius took that away.

Ultimately, I am thankful to have grown up in a city that is promoting

youth and continually improving. So Costa Mesa, especially the City

Council and Newport-Mesa Unified school board, thank you.

* LEA ALFI is a graduating senior at Costa Mesa High School where she

is editor-in-chief of the Hitching Post. Her columns will appear

occasionally in the Community Forum section.