Author: Dr. Monica

Slept in to a glorious 6 am!!! Stiff and sore but otherwise feeling great! (So glad not to have a 15 mile hike on the agenda today!)

I’d love to say I was going to spend the day with my feet up and nothing else, but already have been busy unpacking the RV, doing laundry and tidying up.
I want to go back and review all the blogs from my walk that my sister worked so hard on and reflect on last week’s journey. I’m also going to update the donor list I started and try to get THANK YOU’s out to everyone I can – either in real mail or electronically. I AM OVERWHELMED BY THE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT I’VE RECEIVED FROM ALL OF YOU- I couldn’t have done it without you. I look at it as a Group Effort!

I need to send a very special thank you to my Main Team: my wonderful husband, Bill, who was my wing-man for the journey (along with Reggie, our chocolate Labrador!)

Bill probably kept me from getting killed on that last leg on San Pascual Valley Road! I was walking on a very narrow shoulder because there was NO OTHER ROUTE to get to the Safari Park. He’d ride ahead in the RV and we’d be on the phone- he’d say: “ok you have 3 cars coming” I would then flatten myself to the side of the road until they passed and he told me it was clear- then I’d walk a bit further and the scene would repeat until I finally got to the Park! Scary at the time but funny to think about now! I had bought a bike helmet and 5 flashing bike lights that I zip-tied to it- trying to make myself as visible as possible but also wanting to have some head protection- just in case I got hit anyway! Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

My twin sister, Andrea Dannegger, has been amazing in being able to document my journey in real time for me while I walked. We’d talk on the phone, I’d tell her where I was, how I was doing, sent pics or videos and she put it all together to keep you all updated. She is amazing! And doing it all from Switzerland meant that she was up at 3 or 4 in the morning to do those final posts as I staggered in to my various destinations.

Lastly I want to thank 2 very good friends: Karen Aasen-Rodriguez and Carol Kashefi. Karen got up very early on my first day to see us off from LA Zoo and Carol and her husband were there to greet me at the end of the journey at the SD Safari Park! Also, I’m grateful for 2 other friends who joined me in walking different parts of the journey: Pamela Dodd Simmons (who walked me through Lynwood) and Bonnie Tam and her beautiful children who helped me find my way to The Turtle Rock!

Dr. Monica, May 17th

NOTE:
Dr. Monica would like nothing more than to help
ALL the animals world-wide! So she has officially registered docwalks4animals as a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity whose mission is to support wildlife and environmental conservation projects.

“If you routinely give something to charity each year, I hope you will consider adding docwalks4animals.org to your list of supported charities.  We are brand new, but I put together what I consider a very talented and dynamic board of directors, who bring diverse talents to our organization and, with your help, I am confident we can do great things for our planet.”
–Dr. Monica Metzdorf

Would you like to help?

https://givebutter.com/embed/c/docwalks4animals

🐢🐠🐆🐙🦘🦓🐟🦎🦙🦍🐐🐘🐳🦀🐋🦛🐫🐅🐊🦜🦔🦢🐦🦋

10:25 am –She’s here!

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Rest stop just a few miles to go!

A few moments before:

Please click below to make a donation.

NOTE:
Dr. Monica would like nothing more than to help
ALL the animals world-wide! So she has officially registered docwalks4animals as a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity whose mission is to support wildlife and environmental conservation projects.

“If you routinely give something to charity each year, I hope you will consider adding docwalks4animals.org to your list of supported charities.  We are brand new, but I put together what I consider a very talented and dynamic board of directors, who bring diverse talents to our organization and, with your help, I am confident we can do great things for our planet.”
–Dr. Monica Metzdorf

🐢🐠🐆🐙🦘🦓🐟🦎🦙🦍🐐🐘🐳🦀🐋🦛🐫🐅🐊🦜🦔🦢🐦🦋

Would you like to help?

https://givebutter.com/embed/c/docwalks4animals

🐢🐠🐆🐙🦘🦓🐟🦎🦙🦍🐐🐘🐳🦀🐋🦛🐫🐅🐊🦜🦔🦢🐦🦋

At 9:10 am today, Monica will be live on air on KUSI Good Morning San Diego

Tune in live if you can, otherwise, I will try to get it and post it here when she is done!

Monica will not be able to send a lot of photos or videos today, because the routes are not very “walker-friendly”.
They went to Target last night and loaded up on extra safety equipment:

8:47am — just about 4.4 miles to go!!

6:47 am Start Washington Avenue

Shin taped, ready to walk!

7:08 am Old Historic Escondido

Would you like to help?

https://givebutter.com/embed/c/docwalks4animals

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I really want to thank my friend, Ann Marie, for opening her home to us last night- lovely little private apartment adjacent to her beautiful home on Lake Hodges. We had a nice meal in front of an outdoor fireplace and had a heavenly soak in a Jacuzzi with foot jets! And jets for every other sore muscle too! We look forward to coming back after COVID for a longer visit!  Thank you, Ann Marie!!!

Dr. Monica Metzdorf

Lovely meal in front of the fireplace on the patio:

Long wonderful soak in the Jacuzzi with foot jets! (And jets for all my other sore muscles too!) 🙂

And off to sleep in a comfortable be!

4:30pm She made it to Escondido city! 16.4 miles in 9.5 hours!!

You astound me Monica!! I am SOOO PROUD OF YOU!!

Would you like to help?

https://givebutter.com/embed/c/docwalks4animals

🐢🐠🐆🐙🦘🦓🐟🦎🦙🦍🐐🐘🐳🦀🐋🦛🐫🐅🐊🦜🦔🦢🐦🦋

1:44pm – Reached the city limits of San Marcos! Not at my destination yet and I have not yet reached the limits of my energy! Feeling motivated!!

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Daily photo of pretty flowers!

2:15pm “Fitbit says I have walked 12.2 miles !!” — Dr. Monica

Would you like to help?

https://givebutter.com/embed/c/docwalks4animals

🐢🐠🐆🐙🦘🦓🐟🦎🦙🦍🐐🐘🐳🦀🐋🦛🐫🐅🐊🦜🦔🦢🐦🦋

11:30 am — 8 miles- A quick stop to unload, refuel, ice down

12:47pm — Taking more frequent short breaks today- just about 2 miles from last rest. Doing OK though! MUCH better than yesterday! 🙂 Only about 5 more miles to San Marcos!

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1:06 pm — Quick water over the head cool down before setting off again!!