If you are thinking about joining the Seagoing Cowboys program, I would highly recommend it. I am Luke Merger, and I was a former sea cowboy. Being a sea cowboy is a great experience for any type of young man. You use all types of skills like taking care of animals, sailing technics, and even your athletic side gets used.

You get to explore the world and its unique sites like Europe, China, Greece, Venice, and more! I had many adventures away from the ship as well as on the ship. Once I toured an excavated castle in Crete. I also saw the Panama Canal on the way to China and took a gondola ride in the watery city of Venice!

You get kept working hard cleaning and taking care of the animals, but you also get a lot of fun! Two weeks may seem like a long time at sea, but there are many things that make time fly by! When the animals are getting unloaded you can play games like baseball and volleyball in the empty holds where the animals are being housed. There are also many other games like fencing, reading, boxing, and table-tennis to make the time go faster. The opportunity has made me aware of the suffering and hardships in other countries. Why can't it do the same for you?

This opportunity is not all fun though. Once on one of my16 trips there were 335 horses and the hay and oats to feed them. All the animals need to be watered 2 or 3 times a day, so you can not get lazy! Stall have to be cleaned too!

If you get a great opportunity like this, do not back down! It may be an adventure just waiting to happen!

Show the people in need that you do care for them!