Welcome, and please save me some of the cookies -- I missed lunch.
For fun, it's hard to beat a .22. But another part of the fun is learning about, shooting and becoming proficient with different guns.
You might also want to see if anyone is offering an NRA Basic Handgun class near you. That can be a good way to lay a solid foundation.
The subject can be overwhelming, and many of those of us who have been shooting for a while forget what is was like when we were new and ourselves overwhelmed. Start slowly. Give yourself time to learn. And the first order of business is to be safe.