How Maps and Metaphors was born

We always wanted to share this. Our thoughts, our travels, our random tangents about life and the world. But like most good things, it started with… procrastination. Lots of it.

Between work, parenting, and everyday "we'll do it soon" conversations, the idea floated around for months — maybe even years. But it never landed. Life was fast, and honestly? We were slow. But the stories kept piling up.

April 2023: a mic with no plan

Pranav, in a spontaneous moment of tech joy, ordered a DJI mic. Why? No major reason — just to record fun audio clips with our son. That was the excuse, anyway. Deep down, something was brewing.

May 2023: a campervan in Iceland

We were headed to Iceland — a road trip we'd dreamed about. The mic made it into our campervan. One crisp evening, parked in a silent valley, Pranav said, "Let's just record something."

So he did. A short voice note — raw, real, slightly awkward. Then Palak took the mic and recorded her bit. That moment… something shifted. We uploaded our first episode to Spotify straight from the campervan.

Just like that, Maps & Metaphors was born.

A few days later, exploring a tiny museum in Hvammstangi, we met the manager — a kind soul with stories about seals, scientists and sea history. Pranav felt a spark: "Would you mind if I interviewed you?" He agreed.

🎧 Listen to that episode on Spotify

Chasing connection, not perfection

It wasn't perfect. We were learning on the go — how to record, edit, speak freely. But the joy was real. From there we kept the mic close and talked to people we met — travellers, artists, locals, anyone with a story.

Now we're learning something new every day: finding our way between sound and video, and sharing the places we love as honest, practical itineraries you can actually follow.

What we learned

• Start before you're ready. The mic won't bite.
• Authenticity over perfection. What matters is your voice.
• Your story matters. Someone out there is waiting to hear it.

So if you've been thinking of starting something — a journal, a blog, a silly YouTube channel — this is your sign. All you need is a moment, and a little chai.