Good for you man! Seriously! This is kind of the same thing I did. Around the time Covid started I was really sick with Valley Fever infection. I couldn’t do anything so I started simming. (started on xplane). It’s been exactly as you say, learning cold start ups, traffic pattern, radio coms, navigation, IFR flights, ILS approaches. I love it. The intellectual challenge of being adept at all the ins and outs of aviation has been so satisfying. So welcome aboard to you and happy landings.