Something that can make the switch easier is that, like with OpenOffice, many alternatives can be used before you switch as they’re cross platform :)

So if you need a replacement for Photoshop, you can start learning it before you’re also simultaneously learning linux. Gimp has a modified version to make it more like Photoshop I know many folks like, that might be worth exploring

The other alternative would likely be krita, which is generally better regarded for its comparative competency as a project, but is more aimed at illustration than photo editing, so it may not be able to meet your needs

Discord works cross platform, I think most VPNs do too, but I could be mistaken

On the distro front, my votes go to mint and fedora. That gives you a wide range of desktops to choose from, try them out by booting from a flash drive and pick what you like. Most distro stuff is about living with the os long term, but the desktop will immediately feel alien or like home. And maybe you like alien! That can be fun, but it really depends on you.

Fedora comes with some asterisks like not making non-free software available by default, including things like drivers and media codecs. That can be a pain to deal with as a new user. And the community isn’t super newbie focused. Mint is great, but doesn’t offer either of the biggest desktop environments that you might wanna use, and I have less personal experience with it.

Open suse also has an exceptional reputation, but I’m less familiar with it. Pop os many folks like, but my experience with it has unfortunately always been kinda buggy and rough around the edges, your milage may vary.