Melicious, if you decide to go for it, I can't recommend the MSF highly enough. 200 bucks seems like a lot, but the education you get is completely worth it (also your fatal crash probability drops considerably when you get trained by the course as compared to someone you know who rides, according to the stats).
It's tons of fun, and I love it, even as cautious and wussy a driver as I am.
Edit to add: (slim I just saw your post - the MSF is how I got my license. I agree with you wholeheartedly on its advantages and well-worth-it-ness)