Cindy, I think we've all gone through this at some point in our cycling journey. Like you, it had been years since I rode a road bike and I had a lot of getting use to. Last year, I had my hybrid. As I rode, I realized that having a road bike might be kinda fun. So I bought a used, old one off a family here in Fairfax. It had regular platform pedals which allowed me to concentrate on other aspects of this new geometry. Even on my hybrid, I was still uneasy about clipless pedals. Who am I kidding? I'm STILL not 100% on them. On my new bike, I have the neck/upper back soreness you alluded to.

In time, all these things you are complaining about will be non-issues. Don't be discouraged. You made the right choice, you just need some time with your new bike and some good miles between you two. Handle each thing one at a time. Don't try to tackle clipless pedals, the new soreness and geometry, AND DC road riding all at once! Keep it simple! Keep riding and you'll feel more confident soon enough!