Official Packing List for Germany
We’re less than a week out from our month-long trip to Berlin, Germany and the pressure’s on. We have a new tenant moving into our 3rd floor apartment (we live on the first floor) in 2 days and have some DIY to get done tonight and tomorrow before she arrives. We still have errands to run, medications to procure, and packing to do. While the weather here has cooled down since that one day I wore shorts, the weather in Berlin is heating up to 88 degrees this week, so I’m not sure what to expect when we get there. I need to be prepared for 52 degrees at night to 72 degrees some days to apparently 88 degrees on others. I’ve deliberated on this and I think I’ve decided to bring a few cold weather things and then count on T-shirts and two pairs of shorts for any heat waves. Packing for a month is no small feat, but I do try to keep in mind that it’s not that different than packing for a week- there is a laundromat nearby. And it’s always good to remind myself that they do have stores in Germany if I forget something or my clothes get lost by the airline. So here’s where it stands (the starred* items are what I’ll wear on the plane):
Pants/Shorts:
Blue men’s pants and black leather belt*
Grey men’s pants
Grey joggers
Grey linen pants
2 Black shorts
Shoes:
Logger Boots*
Running shoes
Adidas sneakers
Tops:
1 Hanes light blue tee*
3 ASOS black/white/grey tees
2 Gap Factory black tees
2 Gap Factory navy tees
2 J. Crew navy tees
Layers:
Navy blue hoodie*
Tan anorak jacket
Green corduroy shirt
Grey cashmere sweater
White lightweight scarf
Underwear:
9 pairs underwear
2 white sports bras
4 lace bralettes
Socks:
6 Puma black workout socks
6 Puma white ankle socks
3 Solid crew socks
3 Marled crew socks*
Pajamas:
4 Blue pocket tees
4 Grey (workout) tees
4 jersey shorts
Workout:
Under Armor leggings
Navy Danskin leggings
Black Calvin Klein cropped leggings
2 black sports bras
Grey zip-up fleece
Jewelry:
Blue round glass studs
Pink round glass studs
Silver bent-wire long hoops
Brown beaded stretch bracelet
Toiletries:
Tweezers
Nail clippers
Razor and blades
Electric clippers
La Roche-Posay sunblock (trying to use up)
Elta MD sunblock (new)
Vichy stick sunblock (for working out) (similar here)
Eczema cream (in a smaller bottle)
Medicated shampoo
Mini toothpaste
Mini toothbrush
Electric toothbrush and charger
Deodorant
Mini face wipes
Mini tissues
Mini anti-bacterial wipes
Hair elastics
Hair clip
Hair brush
Hair styling gel (travel size)
Benzoyl peroxide
Pill cases and pouch
Miscellaneous:
Vodka spray
Stain remover spray
Water bottle
Coffee cone and filters
2 Cloth bags
Large grocery bag
Passport
Purse
Sunglasses
Medications (41 days’ worth to be safe):
Atypical anti-psychotic
Mood stabilizer
Antidepressant 1
Antidepressant 2
Thyroid medication
Blood sugar regulator
Anti-anxiety medication
Pain reliever (in case of menstrual cramps)
Anti-viral medication (in case of cold sores)
Vitamins:
Calcium
Magnesium
B-12
Fish Oil
Vitamin D
Melatonin
Electronics:
2 Adapters
Laptop and charger
Phone and charger
2 Headphones
German SIM card
Books:
Latest notebook and 2 blanks
Poetry notebook and 1 blank
Bullet journal
Meds calendar
Crossword puzzle book
I think that about covers it. I’m not bringing any makeup- just sunblock and moisturizer, which is all I normally use. No hair appliances either- I’m strictly a drip-dry gal. No paper books- although I have several on Kindle and Audible, as well as music on iTunes and in the cloud. And I should explain my strategy with pajama/workout tees: I’ll wear one to bed and then just keep it on to work out in the next morning, like I do at home. That way, 8 tees is plenty in that department. Otherwise, workout gear is a little tough. I will have to hand wash bras and leggings every day or two in order to give them time to dry and still have a fresh set the next day. I did something like this on our last trip to Germany and it worked fine. Not something I’d want to do at home, but for the month it’s fine. Some perhaps strange items you may be wondering about on the toiletries list: A Tinkle brand razor is a facial straight-razor for my lovely little chin-hairs that pop out once in a while. Vodka spray is a genius little trick I learned from a costume designer- it’s (odorless) straight vodka and gets the smell out of not-so-fresh clothes you don’t have a chance to wash. Great for the airport after a long flight. A hanging laundry dryer is just that- three levels of mesh for flat drying that you can hang on a standard closet rod, and it folds up into a small, lightweight circle about 8 inches across for traveling. An absolute dream of a gadget (I got mine on Amazon) if you have hand washing to do. And a European voltage converter is different from a simple plug adapter; it actually steps the voltage down from 220 volts down to our U.S. standard of 110 volts. Make sure you have one of these when abroad so you don’t set your hair dryer on fire. And then there are a number of things we’ll buy when we get there: shampoo, conditioner, soap, face wash, tissues, toilet paper, mouthwash, and toothpaste. We’ll get groceries and dish soap for the kitchen, which will save us a lot of money from eating out- did I even mention we’re staying in an Air BnB with a kitchen? And aside from all that, we’re fancy-free for a month in Berlin. My husband will be traveling by train for meetings and the like, but I’m at my leisure to blog, take photos, and explore the city. That sounds really great when I put it that way, but I do have to take into account my fluctuating moods. There may be days where I’m holed up in our studio apartment, unable to deal with speaking German or being out and about in public on my own. But being able to stay in one place for the duration is a definite advantage when it comes to keeping my routines in place. And hopefully, if I stay on my meds and keep up the daily exercise, I’ll be able to enjoy myself in a new-to-me city. And looking for a new-to-me pair of men’s pants (to replace my too-big blue ones) in the many nearby thrift stores will make me feel right at home.