Traveling question

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

This is what he's saying:

If you catch the ball with your right foot on the floor (1 step), step with you left foot (2 steps), lift your right foot (half step) and release the ball, you have 2 1/2 steps.

While my description above is legal, there are other instances where it would not be legal. For example, if both feet on on the floor and you step once with each foot (2 steps), that's traveling.

Can you help me figure out how you count a [first] step with the right when it's already on the floor when the ball is gathered? I've always considered the first step to be the step with the left.