I did my beginner's course, and six weeks later, relocated back to the states. Three months later, I bought a cheapo PSE Buckeye that was way to short, but allowed me to shoot in my garage during the winter. Ended up spending most of my time shooting rifles as there was no club system.
Came back to the UK and within two days of my return, some lovely friends gifted me with a beautiful Hoyt Matrix (silver flame with purple background
) setup. The would've been about 10 months after my beginner's course.