Sounds like you're on the right path there, getting out to a star party will not only help with people coming to grips with your new joy but you'll learn so much more in that one night than weeks of reading and research on the interwebs.
I would suggest downloading a bunch of Star Apps (there are a lot of free ones these days) and decide upon which you most prefer. They're useful as many show not only stars but where star clusters and DSOs are. There is a lot you can see with a 12", but dark skies are needed. I saw more with a 5" refractor in one night at a dark location than with my 10" in the burbs over 6 years
