Didn't do any real aero's until I had 95 hrs. Realised then that I was not flying but merely operating the aeroplane to a prescribed set of numbers - flying was a process.
No more aeros until I had 350 hrs and then it dawned on me that that by "driving" an airframe, I was doing myself a disservice and that my handling skills, although perfectly adequate for operating a Pa31 out of short bush strips, were not as honed as they could be.
I decided to do some more aeros (Smirnoff in RSA) and slowly become hooked. Yes of course I felt uncomfortable initially and yes at times I was a little frightened. However, knowledge dispels fear and with quality instruction, progress to a short simple positive G sequence can be very rapid.
Nowadays I spend a LOT of time upside down!
The IMC route never appealed as I found aeros before it became a geographic possibility, but the idea of infrequently hurtling through grey clouds in a 30 year old single does not fill me with glee.
I think that on this forum, the majority of us fall into two camps, the mini-personal-airline style flyers and the grass root, tailwheel, aerobatic fraternity. Although the latter is the smaller of the two cadres and the one that I naturally gravitate towards, neither is more correct than the other. So in short, I guess I am saying, it is your dosh, do with it whatever gives you greater pleasure, but do aero's first
Stik