What is the process of choosing what to give? It sounds like a silly question, but often it's hard to pick something because, nowadays, everyone has everything. I wanted to do something that would surprise him, and I based it on three characteristics that I believe are crucial for a gift to be special:

1. It must be a surprise: Something he doesn't expect at all.
2. It must be something he wouldn't buy himself: Something outside his usual radar.
3. It must be memorable: Something that reminds him of specific moments; something he looks at and says, "Oh, how cool!". Something unique that not everyone could give him.

I have a great time thinking about these things, and that's why I decided to go one step further for my best friend's birthday. Here is what I prepared.

The Frame and the 3D Figure

Since he just bought a house, I wanted something that could be part of his new home. I looked for a very old photo I took of him when we went to his beach house. I remember he greeted us dressed as a Mexican with a giant hat; we didn't expect it, and it was hilarious.

To materialize this memory:

• I got a depth frame from Ikea (like the Ribba series).
• I printed the edited image with a special title.
• I generated an STL file from that same photo.
• I asked a colleague to 3D print it for me.

With the figure inside the frame, the result is a textured object that perfectly captures the essence of that day.

Treasures from Madrid's Flea Market

To complete the gift, I went to the Rastro in Madrid and found a shop I loved: Galaxisaurio. There, I picked three pieces that closed the loop of our inside jokes:

1. Pique Keychain: The mascot of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Since it's a spicy chili wearing a hat, it fit perfectly with the Mexican theme of the frame and the figure.
2. Buzz Lightyear Watch (1995): From the first Toy Story movie. We have an inside joke about a Cuban guy on Instagram who sells luxury jewelry and watches, and I found it hilarious to buy him this "collector's watch" right there.
3. Pink Panther Cards: A final detail because we call each other "the panther brothers."

And that's it. A set of objects that, separately, might seem random, but together they tell our story. In the end, the best gift isn't the most expensive one, but the one that shows you truly know the other person.