I would agree with mhagain about stepping up to OOP. Java or C++ are good choices, although if you are comfortable with C then maybe C++ might be a better choice - but either either way you cannot go wrong.
Personally I suggest learning Java. C++ is a bit too similar to C and thus you will end up doing many things "the C way", instead of "C++ way". Once you have learnt OO with separate language you can better understand the nuances of C++.
Otherwise - C is excellent first language. Although it has some complex parts - like memory management and pointer arithmetic - it is otherwise small, compact and powerful. And it gives you the "feeling of being close to metal" - i.e. understanding better how computers crunch through high-level data structures. While you can be good programmer without knowing low-level details, having more insight never hurts
