First off, we need to identify a good base location. bring up your map (M).
What you're looking for is an area ideally:
*By a river/lake
*In or next to woods
*nearby rocky outcrops and cliffs (hover over map, cliffs and outcrops are identifiable).
*near the sea
*close to a road
*swamp somewhere close by, but not too close.

I'm no spoiler, so just follow as uncle Cat_destroyer69 suggests.
Likely you won't find an ideal spot, so just tick off as much on the list as possible. River/lake and woods are a must.

Next, whip out that compass into your hand (if playing realistic, which is entirely your choice), start navigating towards your chosen spot using landmarks such as roads and rivers to get there.
I highly suggest turning render distance up to max in the options, you're going to want to look for Huts on the way. Basic compass guide :
*red needle to north, you're heading north
*red needle to east, you're heading west
*red needle to south, you're heading south
*red needle to west, you're heading east

Press ALT to turn on tags, pick up all ginseng you see, a large flint (found around bigger rocks esp. limestone) to craft a chisel/fire-starter out of and any metal tools, bottles and clay jars you see in the huts. Use a stone to disassemble furniture in the huts, keep the nails. If you find a clay jar, use a short plank and flint chisel to make a lid. Add lid to the jar (right click on jar) then fill the jar with nails, sausages and ginseng to save space. Don't eat anything yet. You can carry your bedroll in your arms if need be, for the time being. Equip any tools you might find, if any, in your belt slots. Any double up tools should be disassembled (craft with) and the handle discarded to save space.

Likely, you won't reach a spot anywhere near the sea by dark, so we need to camp.
I like bullets points so here's what you're going to do at this temporary camp.
*lay down your bedroll.
*make a firepit by water(10 stones, you can break up large stones). 2 pits if you found no clay Jar
*Cut up bushes to fuel the fire. Craft with pine branches to get needles & sticks, craft with sticks to make twigs
*boil water you collect in your jar (or two stone bowls)
*brew ginseng tea. You're now a ginseng addict and will only drink ginseng tea for the rest of the game.
*Eat the sausages you start with, that'll make you thirsty for more tea.
*Brew more ginseng tea and fill any vessels you collected in the huts.
*clay jars with lids can hold ginseng tea AND items, also allowing you to hold it in your inventory.
You can sleep now if you want, but that ginseng tea will keep you going if you want pack up and continue in the dark with the bears and wolves.

Once you feel safe to continue, head to your ideal spot. Fill your inventory with ginseng, discard anything common like sticks, rocks , other plants and hold you bedroll in your hands.
Did your spot end up being ideal? it's not if:
*blight too close
*no clay close by the water
*no flat area to start a base

If your base spot is no-good, No drama, find another. That ginseng tea will keep you going! collect a few pinecones to eat (craft with to remove the nuts, ditch the empty pinecones). Worth a mention, you can live of pinecones for weeks and they don't infect you much at all.

Thus concludes this good start guide, now that you're settled in to a camp, make all the mudbrick, clay brick improvements, but most importantly, drink only ginseng tea!, you'll barely have to sleep and progress rapidly, important as the blight spreads each day.