Swoopin in to recommend: https://fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/

Yes. You may distro hop eventually, but you will not go wrong starting there from Windows.

I stuck with it. I am OK that somebody else did a really nice configuration out of the box for me. It's still an open Linux system. I make embedded computers do the right thing all day at work, and at home I've been getting more outside work done than ever. So any projects like setting up an Arch install to learn more about linux will at minimum have to wait for winter.

Before doing anything you can try out different Linux Distros at Distrosea

The most important choice from the beginner is not even the distro, but what window manager to use, that will be your first interface and you need to be comfortable with it first.

Having switched many relatives to Linux recently too, Mint will be your best jumping off point for a familiar feel and pain free experience as someone new to Linux. If you love that and find yourself wanting more, then the world is your oyster! I started on Mint and ultimately settled on Fedora Plasma after trying out a half dozen different options.

Remember that most major distros now offer live ISOs, which means you can easily try them out before committing to an install.

Just do mint. If you don't like it, try another. I went mint and it felt comfortable and worked so I'm happy with it. Might try Debian next time for more stability and less cutting edge.

Aurora is my go-to nowadays