Hello there, and welcome!
If you are looking to create games for pleasure, you have come to the right place. Construct 2 is the best software on the market right now for the pure enjoyment of making games.
In my opinion, if you wish to make commercial games... you have also come to the right place. C2 is very powerful and HTML5 is only improving.
Try out the free version! I trust you will enjoy it immensely and will be soon purchasing a license.
Have fun, and remember to come ask for help in the forums if you need any help.
(It's cool to hear you're from Pennsylvania, I'm feeling lonely here!)