Two thoughts:
1. Maybe avoid freestyle until you know the game and the maps better. It's hard to make quality quick decisions at your level of experience. Playing adjacent reinforcement is also tricky for new players. I'd advise switching to standard or chained.
2. My advise for your main question would be to proceed slowly (on small maps this is less of an option). No point in getting a getting a quick bonus if it draws everyone's attention to you. Don't go for a bonus unless you have the troops to back up your borders.
You seem to be playing well in
Game 5296894. You might want to back off in British Columbia, it looks like you're planning an attack into the Arctic Circle. If you are, it won't help you much. You may want to see if Eldritch is interested in a truce for a few rounds so you don't go back and forth endlessly on each other's borders.
Good luck and welcome to the site!