My first car was a stick. I still remember trying to take off the first time about 100 times in a row on my street, then realizing I had the emergency break on. Good times.
If you like to drive, stick is the only way to go.
I think it makes sense to have the stick on the left side. You need your right foot to break, hopefully... If you had the clutch right next to the gas you would have to use your left foot to break + there's the chance of accidentally hitting the clutch instead of the gas.
Maybe I'm weird breaking with my right foot.
Basically I don't hold my foot on the clutch, I rest it on the left side of the clutch, and drive as normal until the clutch is needed.
What you want to do is find a giant hill, like stelton road, and practice stopping midway up, and accelerating. Then when you hit a baby hill, you won't freak out. Because you will now notice every slight incline.
I think you should stick with it Jon. It's weird at first, but once you learn stick, it's hard to go back. It's just so much more fun.
Just remember while practicing on a hill, if you get nervous or a car comes behind you, break, and tell that Xenia trailer park trash to kiss your hairy white ass hole.