Edited: I reread my reply and it seems harsh. I do not know you personally so take what I have to say about what could/would happen with your experience with a grain of salt.
I feel sorry for you in a way.
I learned about freemasonry through conversation with a mason who warned me not to look up the ritual on line or read any books that contain exposes.
Yes, I did go to X and start reading but I always closed it out before I got into it. I felt like I had my hand in the cookie jar. I felt the cookie in my hand but I never took it out to eat it! (lol)
Now here you are knocking on the west door. The experience for you is lost. It is your
Kobayashi Maru. You will never be able to go through the degrees with excitement. The drama will be lost and it will feel like you are just going through the motions.
You will have a closed mind and you will have a sense of elitism over those in your "line" because you feel that you know everything that is being explained to you. You will dismiss any variation from what you are told by those masonically older than you and replace it with what you consider the truth because you read it in a book.
Ask yourself this. Why do you want to join? You don't have to tell us. Technically no one has to divulge why they joined. Mercenary motives or not. You must believe in a supreme being and if you lie about one of the questions you are asked, that is between you and God. I already eluded to it in my reply but you've read about it so you already know that
Seriously though. You need to ask yourself why you are joining. If it is to wear the emblem to be recognized "officially" then I'm afraid it is not for you.