methodicalaspect

HeliumOS, Kubuntu, Linux Mint (standard and Debian Edition), Pop!_OS, Ubuntu, VanillaOS, and Zorin OS here. Helium and Vanilla are not necessarily beginner-friendly but I use them in specific places.

May you run into a nerd with a Ventoy USB full of beginner-friendly distros in their back pocket to help you along your journey.

There are at least two of us out there, I’m sure of it.

Exactly the correct approach. Similar thing happened to one of my friends a couple years back with Nord. This sort of “leak” could happen with any other VPN provider; not binding the interface is just rolling the dice.