OpenStack is exciting!
I started using OpenStack at work; in fact, my desire to work on it and learn more about it was a major factor in accepting my current position. The learning curve is steep, but don't let that intimidate you. The rewards for persistence are great.
Crawl, Walk, Run OpenStack is a really large project, with a lot of moving parts. My approach, after some trial and error, and the approach I advise to people new to OpenStack is to crawl, walk, and run.