Hi, I can relate your experience to my own first tries with my GVG very well. I even felt a little silly at first, well only now and in hindsight really, at the time I tried a number of smoking methods until I bit the bullet and got my GVG but............
I am still only dipping my toes in yet.... so let me know how you get on with your GVG, and your first experiences. Great to read about your travels.
Make sure you make a screen out of ribbon type stainless mesh for your GVG... I bet you have read all the GVG threads..? but to get effecient, warm the screen before you add your spice, to spread it out thinly on the stainless threads. Depending on your spice and how much you heat it, it should taste almost nothing for white'ish crystals. Its easy to 'burn' it, and this can taste horrible.
You said its new to you to use DMT. Im sure you already know but, Get a nice comfy place where you wont be disturbed and you feel comfortable and indeed with whom perhaps. Get the head-space free of baggage (as much as can be done anyway), and in a safe and pleasant evironment. My own DMT education has been very slow and I only occassionally have the right space to travel. But good luck Luke Skywalker.....

It's more important to get the 'set' and 'setting' righ than ANYTHING, my humble opinion anyway
I also discovered changa, but for me the jury is still at lunch on that.
Also, I like to close my eyes after I toke vapped DMT and smoking a ciggy/DMT might cause me to drop the cig without noticing and cause a fire.....Be careful with that one Brother/Sister
Keep posting
One can never cross the ocean without the Courage to lose sight of the shore