I need help choosing what to do!!

[Herpin' Man]

I don't think that there is anything wrong with keeping a few wild herps, as long as the species/population is sustainable, it is not legally protected, and you are prepared to care for it properly for the rest of its life.
I have kept red bellied snakes. They are neat terrarium animals, but for most people, they don't make very satisfying captives. First, they are really too small and delicate to be handled much. Second, they are escape artists. It can be very challenging to design an enclosure that they won't find a way out of. The best thing to feed them is small earthworms, but not red wigglers. You will have to figure out a way of getting it to eat the worms before they burrow into the substrate.
I think that red bellied snakes are a very poor choice for a first snake, and I think keeping one simply because that's all you can find is a poor reason to get one.
Your idea to get a corn snake is much more practical. As long as FedEx delivers to your area, you can obtain a corn snake.