Peyton Mennetti: Not All Rays of Sunshine

After college, people get real jobs, start their families, and pay their taxes. There’s more to it I’m sure, but that’s what it seemed like to me. I used to be absolutely terrified of graduating college. I saw it as the end of youth. I know this sounds incredibly dramatic, but you begin “real life” after college, and I was so afraid of being settled and having a cookie-cutter life.

Peyton on a boat off the coast overlooking Capri, Italy.

As a little back story: I grew up in a family who was a scared of everything. When I told my grandparents that I was studying in Turin, Italy, for six months, they acted as if I had signed my death wish. At the same time, my parents would joke with me all the time about little mistakes I would make. “How do you expect to live in a foreign country for six months if you forget to wash dishes now,” they would say. My favorite was, “you can’t even grocery shop alone, how will you be in Italy without anyone you know?” These comments were meant to be lighthearted (although my parents were still concerned), but they instilled so much doubt in my ability to complete the program. I began to wonder if I had made a mistake in choosing a program without any other Lander student attending.

This also created this feeling that I might never have this experience again. When am I going to have the time to travel? When am I going to be able to afford to leave the country? Especially out of South Carolina, where flights seem so much more expensive than in other states. Because of this, I felt like I needed to see absolutely everything I could. The first few weekends, this worked wonderfully. I saw every single monument in Paris in two-and-a-half days (about 40,000 steps a day), took countless photos of absolutely everything I saw for my family (my phone memory still suffers tremendously), and planned at least one adventure every single day. I was constantly on the move, and constantly surrounding myself with people. I really never gave myself any rest or time off.

At the same time, I began to prove to myself that I could handle living in Italy. I had two flat mates, but I didn’t interact with them much. I took care of myself, made my own friends, and lived freely and adventurously. I really felt like I was living the dream. If I were to grow up and never leave the country again, at least I’d have these six months to look back on. Then, about three months into the program, my body decided it had enough.

It was the weekend of my program’s trip to Venice. There were about three pre-planned study tours that we had the option of signing up for at the beginning of the semester, and this was the one everyone was looking forward to the most. The trips were slightly more expensive, but the perk was you didn’t have to worry about planning or booking anything (not even meals), because the program had it handled. The night before, my flat mates and I stayed up to pack and check off to see if we had everything we needed. Group chats were pinging constantly with excitement and no one could sleep.

Peyton on top of the Duomo in Milan, Italy.

Then, next thing I know at around 3:30 in the morning, I began to drowsily wake to a slight pain in my right knee. I tried to ignore it and go back to sleep (I just assumed it was a cramp around my leg at the time) but instead I woke up more and more to increasing pain. It stirred me so much that I tried to get out of bed and see if stretching it out helped at all. Instead, I realized I could not walk on it, or place any weight on it at all actually. Tears came to my eyes as the pain kept mounting.

I stumbled out of the room to avoid waking my room mate, because I knew she had to be up in two hours anyway. I called my father, hoping he was still awake back home, sobbing at this point. I could hardly walk and had no idea what my next move should be. Now, keep in mind I’ve had about an hour of sleep and all of this happened in the span of fifteen minutes, so logic wasn’t at the top of my list. He calmed me down and had me first call my program advisor, and then an ambulance.

Needless to say, I wasn’t able to go to Venice. Every other program advisor and peer in my program was able to, though. Instead, I went to an Italian hospital and was rolled around in a wheel chair with no idea as to what was happening. To top it all off, not a single person in that hospital spoke English. I relied on Google Translate to talk with doctors and other hospital staff to find out exactly what was wrong with my knee. It was hours later and I still could not place any weight on it. I was terrified I had torn something and wouldn’t receive the same care because of the language barrier.

The diagnosis (via Google Translate of course) was, “swollen muscles behind the kneecap.” I was so confused because I had never heard of anything like that happening to anyone, but apparently it can spike by overuse (aka by overextending myself). I was told not to walk on my leg at all for the next week. So, I left the hospital with a wrapped leg from my hip down to my ankle. I wasn’t able to bend my right leg at all. At the same time, I was completely alone. Because of this, I had to transport myself from the hospital to the pharmacy for my prescriptions (anti-inflammatory and pain medication), then to grab a few groceries for the weekend, and then finally home, still in pain.

That weekend was the worst weekend of my entire program. I cooked, kept the apartment clean, and tried to stay busy otherwise. I never felt more alone than in those three days. The time difference between myself and home, the fact all of my friends were bonding more in Venice, and the language barriers made the weekend seem absolutely unbearable. I could’ve sworn time actually slowed down. My homesickness was at an all-time high. I actively looked for flights home. I didn’t think I could finish the program.

Peyton in front of the famous harbor in Portofino, Italy.

Then, everyone came back. My friends came to visit, bringing gifts from Venice for me. They bought me groceries, and even helped me unwrap my leg after the week was over. It felt like that chapter of my life was finally coming to an end. I definitely missed out on one incredible trip, but I also knew that I would have so many more.

I felt so devastated at the time of the accident, but looking back now, I see it showed me how strong I am. I had never suffered a major injury in my life. I didn’t know what that was even like, let alone in a foreign hospital having to heavily rely on Google Translate.

If anything, this experience taught me how important it is just to slow down sometimes. I don’t need to see absolutely everything, but the sights that really peak my interest. I don’t need to capture every sight, but take in the moments and hold the memories instead. I don’t need to see everyone I love every single day, but take time for myself sometimes and cherish the moments I do have with them more. More importantly, I don’t need to constantly push myself, but listen to my body and take a breath. My life after undergrad isn’t over, but just the beginning of a life full of adventure.

Peyton Mennetti is a senior Business Administration major with an emphasis in Marketing and Management. She plans to graduate from Lander University in May 2020. She studied in Turin, Italy, for the Spring 2019 semester. After Lander, she intends to attend graduate school and earn her Masters in International Marketing.