Photographer in the making

We had our little Christmas get together at my dad's house last night and I got the most awesome present ever - a digital SLR camera, lenses and a bag for it all! So now I can work on becoming a photographer for a travel magazine, like I always dream of being. :) Though, all this new equipment looks a little intimidating. I've got a lot of reading/learning to do! If anyone out there uses this type of camera and has any tips for a beginner, I'm ready and willing to listen!