What is a pretty normal career progression

Ok wierd post coming. I don't have much in my life right now and I'm looking for something I could be passionate about. I see people around me, they get passionate about things I consider dumb, like their favorite tv show, or work, or the latest video game, whatever it might be. So i'm looking for that activity that will make me feel like i'm there doing it and it is worth my time. I've thought about kayaking, thought about hockey, mountain climbing, things like that, none of them really playing out in my head as bearing fruit like I could see boxing potentially doing.

I just turned 26. I am 5' 8". I'm about 157 lb right now and even though I'm in decent shape I see myself fighting around 130 but I'm not qualified to know that yet. What I want to set out to do is basically get into boxing. My ultimate goal would be a real match. I am doing a lot of research right now.

Q1: Anyway, whats a pretty normal progression for someone who is training daily? Like how many months approximate until sparring and then from there when would you have a match? A year away?

Q2: Ok and then stepping into a gym. I am starting from scratch as a beginner so as I understand it I need to find a decent gym nearby and sign up for some number of months. I need to find a trainer (I read the post about how to find a trainer) and pay them per session. Some of the literal layman stuff is working against me in my head. Do boxing gyms also cater to weight lifting crowds? Because I already lift weights a few times a week and could switch gyms. So in a very LITERAL sense, do I find the gym first, then find the trainer, then before meeting up purchase boxing gloves? I know I sound like such a noob here and I am, but my mindset right now is I want to pick up the phone and meet a trainer next week but don't know where to start.

Q3: Is it recommended I start training on my own through instructional videos etc before meeting a trainer? I had assumed it would be best to meet the trainer first, even if for just one session, to learn proper form I can practice and later follow up with the trainer on.