I am new to learning Blender on my own with books. I am looking to online chat with newbies like me who want other newbies for motivational support. Blender seems overwhelming to learn and discouragement can set in quickly. It would be nice to have someone to chat with to keep the excitement of learning going.
Gregory
[email protected]
try blender undeground. http://blenderunderground.com/ it has message boards rather than chat but it is noob friendly and helpful.
Welcome to Blender! Also, you can check out the friendly forums at http://forums.blendernewbies.com/index.php
I’d also recommend looking for a more experienced Blender user that can serve as a “mentor”. It’s so much better if someone is there working with you and helping you learn through things that they’ve struggled with when they were first learning to use Blender. And you’re less likely to give up that way. 
Welcome on Board!
another way to get in touch in realtime with fellow blenders is IRC ( internet relay chat ) go for freenode #blenderchat or #blender 