imho, it's an excellent starter camera, keep in mind i'm a canon owner, but not biased against nikon, it's just that when canon started making digital slr's i already had an investment in good canon glass
i'd say get it based on the fact you state it feels right in your hands, that's a real plus no matter who made the camera
i will say that the kit lens is just a starter lens, i would highly reccommend that your next purchases be L quality glass/ or maybe the 17-55 2.8 IS, a lens i used very successfully on a med cruise last year
there are a couple threads on here talking about how the body is just a body, and in the digital world in 6 years is an out of date piece, but good glass with care stays good for many years, i have an xsi, and many times it's my travel camera, due to light weight and smaller size for packing/travel