This took me a fair while but FINALLY I've been able to achieve an orbit. The secret was a (semi) properly built rocket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBYl7YyBVXw&lc=z13kubxaxtb3zvcna22vel5zkuj1s50mg
I've recently got back into KSP, and I've set myself the goal of eventually reaching the moon. I figured I'd record some of it and share it with the KSP community for giggles.