Welcome Greyhound! My story is similar to yours...I got a Trek 7.5 FX in Feb 2011. At first, I was very nervous riding alone, and usually got off my bike to cross really busy intersections

I found some really great beginner groups to ride with and learned a lot about road safety, how to ride in traffic, how to ride in a group, etc. Next year, I want to purchase a road bike too, so I can keep up a bit better on some of the group rides. (I do ok on the FX, but i think the road bike will be more comfortable on 20+ mile rides.) But, I am really glad I started on the FX. I had a lot to learn about the basics, and the FX was probably better for a nervous rider like me to start on. You might be able to find some group rides on meetup.com. (If you are not familiar with it, you just search your area for the activity you want, and can find all kinds of groups.) I found a women's only cycling group that way, and they had beginner rides which helped me so much. Good luck and enjoy your bike!