I started my bonsai journey last year so I can pass along some of the things I found most helpful. You're already reaching out to local members and finding active people in the hobby in your area which is great! Take all the information you can get, but be selective/don't believe something to be true just because someone told you. Look at their trees, evaluate the info based on what others have said, etc. Get your eyes on as many good bonsai as you can. Whether in books, online, or preferably in person. It can be challenging but it is worth it to have the mental repertoire when you go style your own trees or source new ones. Watering is hard. Especially when you have a bunch of newly acquired trees in nursery soil or 15 different types of soil. Try to get them all into a soil you know when next repotting season comes around. As your knowledge expands experiment, try, and learn from what the trees tell you. Oh it didn't seem to like when I did x or man this tree is thriving because I did y. And moreover just be patient, with your trees and yourself. It doesn't take a long time to have fun in bonsai but great bonsai do take a long time. Easy, instant, and quick rarely equate in bonsai no matter how many YouTube videos tell you so.