I don’t want to mess with Linux on my Windows PC anymore.
Yeah, this is just wise. Windows is generally greedy when it comes to partitions. It might eat a Linux bootloader, or mount a drive wrong, or the VM may act erroneously. It’s also the biggest barrier of entry for getting into Linux-- most people have only one laptop or desktop (if any), and don’t want to lose their files. My boots sleep on separate beds because of this.
My recommendation is to check with family, friends, or local for junker PCs or the most rundown POS you can track down. The more lightweight Mint spins will run a fair amount of old PCs much better than Windows can now, and live instances are just a lot better to experiment on than VMs, in my opinion.
Similarly, trying to learn to run your own homelab is a great gateway. I initially got started running a pihole, it’s dirt cheap with a Best Buy Rpi kit, and you get acquainted with the terminal.