Although everything I had read had described a wait period of at least two weeks, my passport was returned to me by priority mail exactly one week after I visited Chicago.
This leaves no more large obstacles standing between me and my semester abroad, so off I went to purchase my own set of luggage. After rolling several suitcases around the luggage department and inspecting the inside of each option, I settled on a large suitcase and a matching carry-on for my trip.
Now the packing can begin!
