I got my ham license (tech) in 1976. Back then you had to go to the local FCC field office. For me that was in NYC. 5 WPM code and general written for tech back then. I expected to have trouble with the code, but easier on the written. ReEverse happened, aced the code but barely passed the written (a little embarrising for a BSEE college student). Maybe that's why they gave me WA2ISE, as it's all dits on the suffix (.. ... .). :-) More likely it was random, but I understand that the FCC was recycling expired callsigns back in 1976. I once found in an old callbook someone in upstate NY had my callsign years before.
Later on my license became to be known as "tech plus", as the no-code tech came into being. "plus" meaning I did the 5WPM code.
Then in 2000, the FCC changed the code requirement for genreal and extra to just 5 WPM. I already had done the general written back in 1976, so I only needed to pass the advanced and extra writtens to get my extra class license. Did that in 2000, kept my old callsign, got myself a Kenwood HF rig and got on HF (SW). Ten meters was hot back then, and I could routinely contact hams in Japan on ten. Another time I contacted someone in Antartica. These all with crude dipole antennas tossed into the crawl spaces above my 2nd floor (top floor) apartment.
There's various AM nets on HF you can find and join.
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