This project didn’t begin as a project.
It began with a simple thought.
Someone I love, a very empathic and sensitive being, once said, “I’m like a panda — I need a certificate so people know I’m like an endangered species.”
From then on, pandas became a quiet symbol between us.
The one that travels the world now wasn’t meant to be anything special. It came from an online purchase that didn’t turn out as expected — just a simple stuffed panda that stayed on my desk as a reminder.
Months later, I was about to leave on a road trip with my brother and sister to Washington State to lay my mother’s ashes to rest. As we were heading out, I ran back inside to grab something I had forgotten.
Panda was sitting there.
Without thinking, I picked it up and brought it with me.
On the way north, we stopped at Shasta Springs — a place that holds meaning for both of us. I took a photo of Panda there and sent it with a simple message:
“Guess where Panda is?” It was the first time she even knew panda existed.
That was the first one.
From that moment on, Panda began traveling — appearing in places near and far, always shared as a way to stay connected.
Over time, the photos became something more.
Panda started going to places she hadn’t been. Seeing things she hadn’t seen. Experiencing moments we couldn’t always share in person.
This project is a continuation of that.
A quiet companion, traveling the world.
A way of staying connected across distance.
A reminder that even small things can carry meaning.
At one point, I thought about getting a second panda — one she could take with her when she traveled.
When I mentioned it, she paused and said,
“I don’t know if it’s okay that they are different ones… it doesn’t make sense anymore for the panda trip.”
And she was right.
There is only one Panda.
The journey isn’t about multiples or replacements. It’s about this one companion, moving through the world, carrying the meaning with it.
Panda is not a brand.
Panda is simply Panda.