Globetrotters Writer Spotlight

Summary

Iain Stanley, an Associate Professor from Cronulla, Sydney, shares his travel experiences and insights as an ex-pat living in Japan for 18 years, emphasizing the importance of cultural adaptation and language learning.

Abstract

Iain Stanley, born in Australia to English parents, has spent 18 years in Japan after growing up surfing in Sydney. His love for travel stems from an eternal curiosity about cultural differences and the fascination with why people act the way they do. Stanley's travel is driven by surfing, which has taken him to various destinations including Bali, Morocco, and Samoa. Now settled in Miyazaki with a family, he enjoys photography, writing, and spending time with his daughters. He advocates for adaptability and respect towards local cultures and customs when traveling, suggesting that comfort is key in his travel preferences. Stanley emphasizes learning the local language and maintaining connections with friends from home as crucial lessons from his travels. He also invites readers to join Medium through his referral link to access his work.

Opinions

Stanley values cultural curiosity and understanding, believing that people's actions, thoughts, and languages are fascinating.
He prioritizes surfing as his top travel activity, reflecting his deep connection with the ocean.
He has a strong attachment to Miyazaki, Japan, where he has built a life and family, considering it the best place he's been.
Stanley encourages travelers to be adaptable and respectful of other cultures, emphasizing that there are many ways to approach situations, not just one's own.
He prefers comfortable travel over the backpacking style of his earlier years, appreciating amenities like air-conditioned rooms.
Stanley has learned that knowing the local language is invaluable, and keeping in touch with close friends from home is vital for a well-rounded travel experience.
He reflects on the changes in places like Bali, expressing a longing for less commercialized times.
Through his referral link, he suggests that his travel insights and stories are worth the modest cost of a Medium membership.

Hello Globetrotters — An Aussie ex-pat living in the south of Japan for 18 years

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Hi Globetrotters. My name is…Iain Stanley

I love to travel because…I’m eternally curious. Why do people act, talk, think, speak the way they do? It’s fascinating. My parents are both from England but I was born and raised in Australia. My parents divorced when I was young so I would alternate each year visiting my aunts, uncles, cousins etc in London and Liverpool. It all started there and has never ended.

My number one travel activity is…Surfing. I grew up surfing in the south of Sydney and that love for the ocean has carried me across the world to places like Bali, Japan, Sumatra, Morocco, Samoa, and all over Australia. Beach, sand, sun, beer. I’m good.

I come from…Cronulla, in the south of Sydney

I work as an Associate Professor teaching English, Academic Writing, and Photography at a university in the far rural south-west of Japan

The best place I’ve been is…Miyazaki, Japan. I moved here 14 years ago as a single man with a backpack. I’m now married, have two beautiful daughters, and a mortgage up the wazoo on a house 5 minutes from the beach. I hope to see out my days here.

In my spare time, I like to…surf, take photos, edit my photos, write, and play with my two young daughters, aged 6 & 4.

My top travel tip is…be adaptable. Your way is not the only way, and very often isn’t even the best way. Accept what you find on your travels and be respectful that people and cultures have their own way of doing things. Adapt to it, don’t try to change it.

If I could live somewhere else, I’d live in…Bali. But only if I could find somewhere that hasn’t been overrun by Aussies and wellness digital nomads! I first went there close to 30 years ago when it was dirt-poor surfers only. How things have changed but it’s still an incredible place.

My favorite way to travel is…in comfort. Not necessarily style, but comfort. I’ve been away from Australia for close to 25 years and my backpacking days are long behind me. Now, I want to enjoy new places in comfort and air-con rooms!

Three lessons I’ve learned from traveling are: 1. we’re not as smart as we think we are; 2. learning the language of where you are is invaluable; 3. keeping in touch with close friends from home is vital.

Globetrotters Writer Spotlight — Iain Stanley

Hello Globetrotters — An Aussie ex-pat living in the south of Japan for 18 years

Join Medium with my referral link - Iain Stanley

Read all of Iain Stanley's best work for a monthly fee equivalent to half a craft beer…