I'm happy to talk chess any time.

If you're just starting out and looking to improve, doing a search for "chess principles" helps so much, because they teach you simple, solid play without memorization. Then, whenever you DO want to learn an opening, they make more sense, like "Oh, this one is designed to let me castle early" or "Aha, I see that every opening revolves around different ways to take control of the middle squares"

The best way to get started is just to download either the chess.com app or the (open source) Lichess app, which are the 2 main platforms, and start playing. They have matchmaking (elo), so you'll be paired against people around your level.

Oh, and take advantage of the puzzles. I burn through those for fun, and I credit them as the #1 way I've been improving.