The best advice I can give is that you should try to find someone, possibly through a local herp club, and work with and around large snakes like retics, rocks, scrubs, and yes anacondas if possible prior to owning any of the above. The key here is making sure the person you are learning from is themselves competent and that you get to see them work with fully grown adult animals, learning the proper safety protocols and husbandry required to stay safe and keep the animals healthy. Watching someone work a 3 to 4 foot juvie will have little real value in preparing you for working with an adult.
In my opinion buying a smaller snake to "gain" experience is a bad idea. Buying a boa or smaller python that you really do not want can lead to an unwanted pet somewhere down the road as these snakes can live to be 30 years old themselves and still require proper care even after the "learning" stage is over. Again, try to gain experience by working with someone who owns one of the animals you are actually looking to own.
Big snakes equal big commitment and the knowledge base to competently deal with all that an animal that can live 30 to 40 years and weigh 200 pounds brings with it. Keep in mind however, that anacondas do not really reach lengths of 30 feet and weights of 500 pounds. These stats are pure speculation as NO specimens of this size have been accurately recorded anywhere. A large female will more than likely reach a length of 16 to 17 feet with a weight in the mid 100's. An exceptional female may reach 18 to 20 feet and weigh in over 200 lbs, but again this is exceptional. Males are smaller, usually around 10 feet or so and are not as heavy bodied as the females. Larger males are occasionally found, but again these are exceptions rather than the rule. Still, these are very large snakes and require proper husbandry and diet in order to thrive in captivity. Like the previous people have said keep doing your research and only buy one of these magnificent animals after you are settled somewhere and are comfortable with all aspects of their care.
Best regards,
Shane

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