Somewhat new to guns, looking into CCW in Riverside, CA

Hello, first things first, nice sub. I've been lurking for a little while and it seems like there's a lot of reasonable, compassionate people here who are receptive to questions and noobs. So thank you and good job. :)So guns and ranges are not totally unknown to me as I used to do trap shooting with my parents. But not only has it been a long time since I fired a shotgun, but I've never fired a handgun, which is the type of weapon my boyfriend and I are planning on getting for the house. (He has even less experience with guns than I do, we are both going to be doing a lot of training and practice before going balls deep in defending our home with a firearm. We are sensible people.)So our first steps towards that are clearly spending time at the range, choosing a gun that works for us, and getting everything we need for proper care and feeding.But I'm also interested in the prospect of concealed carry. Not only does it seem slightly silly to own a handgun for defense that you can't even carry on you, but I'm a 5'2" woman who weighs 115 pounds soaking wet after a large meal. I've been in very scary situations before, such as with public transit, walking to work or home, being alone in my car, etc. I like the idea of having some self defense, and again, learning about actual defense in the context of CC.(Bonus content: one piece I'm looking at is the Beretta BU9 Nano 9mm. Tiny beautiful handgun, really good reviews, seems good for concealing and operating with a tiny physique. What do you think/similar gun suggestions, especially a bit cheaper but not shitty?)So I want to know if anyone in Riverside County CA with experience in getting their CCW can give me some input that might help me streamline the process and keep costs down. I know a bit about the requirements they want, it's all listed on the Sheriff's website and repeated in other places, but it seems maybe intentionally vague, what are the details? How long did the entire process take from first inquiry to walking out with permit in hand? What was the total cost? How common/uncommon is it in our county to actually be granted one, or is it very difficult even when meeting all requirements?Anything else would be much appreciated. I know this permit process can take a long time and is quite expensive, so I'm in no real hurry. I just want to get everything in line and make sure I'm knowledgeable about this before I go further into trying to make it happen.Thanks a lot. :) via /r/CCW http://ift.tt/2iPEUoP