I just acquired a Baofeng UV9R-PRO as my first semi-tweakable radio. Seems like a pretty good piece of kit one step up from fixed channel GMRS units. I've been able to learn some basics so far and managed to listen to some local repeater chatter. Also got a kick out of listening to one of our fixed channel GMRS units by looking up the channel frequencies. I haven't (deliberately) pressed the PTT once yet. Seems like just about anything outbound is technically illegal.
Pay $4, install HamStudy on iOS or Android, and/or use the excellent HamStudy.org site for free, run through all the questions until you've been through them all and are consistently scoring 90% on the practice exams, then pay the $35 FCC registration fee plus $15 exam fee to take the exam online, supervised on camera by three already-licensed amateur radio volunteers who are looking forward to cheering your success.
Take the Technician exam to be legal for most of the stuff you can do with your handheld, or if you're feeling ambitious, hit the General one right after that (you can keep going in the same session at no extra charge, but you're just wasting everyone's time if you've not studied at all for the level you're attempting) which will also get you into most of HF (1.8 MHz - 30 MHz).
I eventually did all three (Amateur Extra) so that I could convert it into a full German license (even the German national radio club advised me, a non-German citizen, to do it that way)
Any suggestions as to what I should do next?