Hi Bluejays, welcome to GA Flying...
I think at an early stage you need to get your Navigation simplified as much as possible. Try some trips out where the nav is simple, along a coast-line for example. Or around areas that are instantly recognisable to you, such as past tall smoking chimneys etc. There are lots of good airfields to go to that are still within class G airspace.
I am not too sure how much GPS training is given in todays PPL courses, but a good GPS or ipad app is one of the first purchases, along with a good head-set.