Tonight I had the opportunity to go to a reptile room made by the Youtuber Clint's Reptiles. It is a space where people can handle reptiles and learn more about them all for a small fee.
While there I got to hold a variety of reptiles such as western hognose snake (pictured below), leopard gecko, and corn snake. Out of all these reptiles though, I really enjoyed the corn snake.
Although corn snakes tend to be longer and thus require a larger enclosure, handling one and learning more about them made me realize they possess many qualities I am looking for.
I appreciate the advice everyone has offered me while I explored what was out there. While I'm sure geckos make great pets, I just don't find them as fascinating as a snake. I won't be able to own a corn snake for awhile, but I'm glad I have a starting point.