When you are getting ready to leave the country, there are lots of things you can leave to the last minute. For example, I didn't pack my suitcase until the night before because many of the things I took with me are things that I was using the weeks and days before I left. If I had packed early, I might have realized I needed something that I had already packed, taken it out, and then forgotten to repack it. What I did instead of packing was make a list of everything I would need. I started with the basics (clothes, shoes, toothbrush, etc.). Then, anytime I used something in my day to day life that I would need in Germany, I added it to the list, i.e. my phone charger and, by association, a converter.

Many people, my family and friends included, think that is a crazy way to live. As the days to departure dwindled, my parents became more and more stressed every time they passed my empty suitcase. But I will tell you the secret to stress free packing procrastination: anything you forget, you can buy when you get there. You're not going to a void that won't have socks if you forgot to pack them! If something small gets left out, you can replace it when you get where you're going. The exception, of course, are things like prescription medicines and things to remind you of home. For those, pack them the moment you've used them for the last time in your home country.

What you should not put off, however, is anything that requires the involvement of another person. By that I mean, getting your passport or acquiring money for your host country. The more people that are involved in a process, there more room there is for error. It took me 4 trips to the bank to get my euros because the bank had sent in my order wrong. But because I ordered them over a month in advance, I still received them a week and a half before I left and didn't have to worry about arriving in Germany with no money.

Just so you know, I got to Germany with everything I need for my time here.