Well done Paula! The M42 region is a great one to explore. First stop is to see if you can nab M43 which should be in the same field. It is usually described as comma shaped. The other thing to try for is to get th 4 stars of the Trapezium. If it is a good night you can also pick up the 5 and sixth stars.
That looked very much like an eyepiece view but a bit fuzzy perhaps due to it being a sketch. Are you sure that was a sketch? It may have been a photo but not very 'deep'.
Anyway, if I up north here were to pick a first DSO, M42 would make a fine choice to be sure. Now down south, my heart belongs to Eta Car Nebula.