Practice with whatever camera you get. And take a million photos. I come away from a week vacation with 3000+ photos. I'm constantly taking photos.
You have to learn how to work with the camera.
My DH has a small point and shoot, nothing special, a Nikon.
He takes wonderful, beautiful photos, and sells them, funded our last vacation on his photography sales. With a small point and shoot. Sure, he wants a SLR, but, doesn't have one. He takes interesting angles of photos, because that is what THAT camera does best.
practice practice practice. And take a million photos.
(I have a panasonic DMC-FZ7, and just love it. DH has a Nikon E4200, and he just loves it.)