Very old returning player- what's worth knowing?

My girlfriend is getting back into FFXI since she saw it was on sale the other day. She was a HUGE player and knew all the ins and outs- 15 or 20 years ago. She loved the game back then and was obsessed. Obviously a lot has changed. She is starting over, and she wants me to get involved and go through the story with her. I have played FFXI very intermittently over the years and never got very far (I did play Zodiac Braves though, if anyone's familiar!). She wants to play a Paladin at first (going through Monk, then Warrior to Paladin) because she doesn't want to bother with buying or farming spells early on. I haven't decided what I want to do yet. Any general advice for the two of us? What's changed over the years that's worth noting? What are some early tips that'll help us get started? What should I play to help support her?

Thanks, and see you there!