I have been using Linux daily for 5 years. I have distro hopped and tried a lot of flavors - I gave up the tinkering with Linux when I realized how pointless it is while my laptop was compiling Gentoo in my freezer.
If I had to start over:
  • Pop OS if you want something that just works out the box.
  • Debian + KDE for daily use. super easy setup. Endgame distro.
  • Arch + KDE if you want to tinker. Advanced setup.
Everything else is pointless. For your case, I would just go with Pop OS. it is super beginner friendly.