I am completely new to this! Help!

I decided to try my hand at learning Japanese and came across this amazing site but since I don't have any prior lessons. I have no idea what to start on or if I should maybe start on another site to learn the basics.
Does anyone have any suggestions on websites or maybe how a beginner should maybe start out?
I work an office job and just needed something to do in my down time. I love anime and cosplay, I plan on going to Japan sometime in the future so knowing the language would be a major pro in my books!
I tried to start out learning the katakana and hiragana, but then the questions started combining to make words and I was still getting questions right but I was more guessing than anything. Is there any tips on learning how the kanji combine or even just tips on starting out?