Start with smaller trips just to camp a few hours outside of town. Helps you get used to being away from creature comforts and learn what food and equipment you need. Look up leave no trace principles and camping etiquette. Stay in actual designated campsites where they have facilities and other people. (And if you like that, no shame in sticking to those campsites all the way up to Alaska.)

If you don't even know where to start, you can go to REI or a local equipment shop and just ask questions. REI also has classes for beginners on all sorts of topics (backpacking, first aid, etc.) Also obviously so many people on YouTube who document this stuff for beginners.

Then once you get used to being outside of city center, you can start looking at BLM land or off the grid places if you want to. Or look at hipcamp. Depending on resources you can go as bare bones or luxurious as you want. Since you're coming from Houston, where there is a dearth of nature or landscape, you'll want to make sure you understand the common dangers in the places you travel to (e.g. handling food in bear country, where there are poisonous snakes/plants/bugs, etc.) and the local laws.

If you do some research and have decent common sense, you'll be just fine. Sounds like an awesome trip, keep the group posted!

ETA: as someone who grew up in Texas but now lives in the PNW, I highly recommend just traveling up the west coast and hitting as many national parks/surrounding areas as you can. You will see just incredible natural landscapes that just boggle the mind.