All true... plus
I too heatily suggest a local munch as a great place to start. You'll also find that there are meetings of likeminded folk, whether they're into spanking or bondage or D/s or leather or any number of interests. Some communities have kinky book club discussions, submissives-only discussions (a great place to share issues and even find out about the suitability of potential partners within the community,) workshops, and even demonstration/participation learning opportunities.