also NNNNNEEEEEVVVVVEEEERRRRR be afraid to ask!!!!!!!!!!!! Whether you are on the ground or in the air, if you don't know ask. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help when doing something that can kill you.

Think of the regs as bare minimums. There is no shame in setting higher limits on yourself as far as when and where you will fly.

Also you can check AOPA among what the others said for NOTAMs. If you aren't a member you might want to look into it. I think back when I was doing my training I got 6 months free or something like that. Now BofA has my aircraft loan and they pay your AOPA dues.