It’s ok to leave home for an in-person class.
Acquiring a new lens is a special event. That’s because each lens has been designed for a specific purpose. The longer the focal length, the heavier the lens will be which makes it heavier to hold. I just bought a 200-400 mm lens that will let me get closer to a subject without moving. The thing weights 7 pounds so some type of camera support must be used despite the buit-in vibration reduction. I used a monopod with the lens and still was able blur the image. If you get a “beast lens” soon, please have something on which to rest it. Switching to decafe won’t help.