To add to what Melanie said (and there isn't much to add as her answer was GREAT!), I would just reiterate that the videos here on the forum and YouTube along with the photos and videos on
www.silverbulletcutters.com will give you a wealth of information as well as the feeling that you will be support from users if you get stuck. Some of us who have had the machine from its inception, had to learn from scratch. And we did it - my point being that it just takes some time and practice. But now there is so much support here on the forum and online that I think you can find about anything you want to see. There are projects posted on blogs - information is everywhere.
If you have specific questions and cannot find the answers, please ask. We are all happy to help. I too was hesitant to buy something sight unseen with my first cutter (starting with Cricut, Wishblade and then a list of others...) but after knowing Sherri for years I have never given it a second thought getting a machine from her. She stands by what she sells.
As Melanie said, there are no area classes per se, but we can help you with questions. And if you go through some of the videos that show both the machine and the software, I think you will feel more at ease. I am in so CA, but not near enough to you. Oh - per the comment about local support, if you are ever in a situation where you are stuck, we can set up tech support and see what you are doing on your computer and help that way as well - and it's totally safe.
We understand your hesitancy, but we have thousands of happy users and I am confident we can get you over any hurdles you might encounter.