Okay, for many of my thoughts on WikiPolitics, you can read my Request for Adminship. The best feeling is undoubtedly seeing someone read an article you've written, or complimenting it. My advice would be to never forget that, however bogged down in the political posturing you find yourself. Several of our best contributors plug away behinds the scenes day after say, unseen and unheard.
"Are there any areas that you'd suggest I look into in particular?" Nice try, but you're going to have to find that out yourself. You may find that joining a WikiProject can be a useful step, in an area that interests you. (Be warned though, some are more active than others!)
"What things really annoy you about Wikipedia / which parts do you think could work better?" In some ways, the single thing that annoys me most is the assumption that Wikipedia is "broken" and needs to be "fixed". It's never going to be perfect, so we may as well enjoy it now, rather than focussing on some random point in the future when everything will be just right.

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