"I'm having trouble equating a simple
List in Python with something in
VBA..."
This isn't the best way to learn the language. In a way, you're giving up large pieces of Python because there isn't something like it in VBA.
If there's nothing like a Python list in VBA, then -- well -- it's something new. And new would be the significant value in parts of Python.
The first parts of the Python Built-in Types may not map well to VBA. That makes learning appear daunting. But limiting yourself to just things that appear in VBA tends to prevent learning.