That's great that you chose the 29er and nothing wrong with a hardtail. That's how I started. Let me warn you though, trail riding becomes obsessive, and if you do decide on FS down the road; it does make a world of difference. Not so much when you first start out, but after you have been riding it for a while and you go back to a hard tail - you definitely will notice the difference.

Best of Luck and look forward to reading about your adventures.