Hej Jacob_Schneider!
I am also a learner, and I would learn to practise speaking Arabic with you. I am in Scandinavia and, although we live in different time-zones, I believe we can work out a mutually acceptable schedule. Please leave a message on this forum if this sounds acceptable.
Skype is a programme that allows you to contact others (that is to say, people who have the same programme installed on their computers) for free. It enables you to both speak and chat (that is, to text-chat). It also enables you to make low-cost telephone calls and send SMS nationally and internationally at a low cost. You can download it for free from
www.skype.com. Good luck!
Your former profession is not scary, by the way, and a pacifist is always welcome!
Here's wishing you all the best, and hoping to hear from you soon.
/SabaUnusu.