I can remember wanting to be a pilot for as long as I can remember; I originally wanted to become a proffessional pilot right out of high school, but let myself be talked out of it and persued another career.
Later at age 24 I again persued flying lessons, but allowed myself to be talked out of it. (It would be too expensive, too many regulations, etc...) Finally, at age 26 I still found myself obsessed with the idea of becoming a pilot and went to the local airport and tried a demo flight. One flight at the controls and I was hooked! I signed up for the Private course on the spot.
After getting my private I found I was still hooked and continued to add more ratings even though I was now a father and really couldn't afford it. I worked a lot of overtime, (70+ hours a week) taking one lesson a week, sometimes every other week when things were tight. I can't really say why I continued persuing my goal of becoming a proffesional pilot, at the time it seemed an impossible dream, I new I would need at least 1,000 hours of experience with a couple of hundred hours of expensive multi engine time to even stand a chance of getting a job, plus I would need a substantial amount of savings to survive what I new would be at least a few years of low pay. But despite that I kept working at it, I guess you could say I was driven.
Finally at age 36, despite going through a divorce, I found I had about 800 hours or so, a commercial and CFI ticket and all the ratings along with enough savings to support myself for a couple of years, so I quit my job, took a 75% pay cut and started flight instructing full time. Fast forward another 7 years and I am now in the left seat of a Gulfstream flying movie stars all over the world. I love my job, I have plenty of free time and the pay isn't bad either.
Bottom line?
I only wish I hadn't let myself be talked out of it when I was 16!
Don't give up just yet Brynnb, try a few lessons and as long as you are having fun keep doing it. Why not get your Private, if only as an accmplishment, it would proove to yourself that you can do anything you set your mind too, regardless of wether you want to make it a career or not. Better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.
Best of luck