Great wrap up, OP!
You certainly dove in head first to this PC thing. I did the same, and also learned so much from all the helpful folks on this forum. Nice cockpit you’ve got there.
I was going to suggest getting into SPAD when you really felt ready for a new challenge. It is an amazing tool. The only downside for me is that I find myself mapping controls almost as much as actually flying. Fortunately, I get a lot of satisfaction from that process. It’s extremely satisfying to kick the mouse to the curb when flying.
I’ve just started programming my new Streamdecks (XL and Plus) using SPAD, and that by itself opens up a whole new world. The Streamdeck is an amazing peripheral, and SPAD integrates beautifully with it. I don’t need it for the simpler GA aircraft like the Bonanza and the Comanche, but for more complex planes they are quickly becoming de riguer for 2D flying. I held off on programming mine for a while, thinking they were too complicated. Once I started I quickly became enamored with them. I was doing things the first day that had me wishing I’d started a month ago.
If you fly a lot of different planes, you should check out this little hack I made for my Bravo.
I haven’t tiptoed into the VATSIM world yet. I’m actually waiting for Beyond ATC to hit the market.