I think that's what holds a lot of people back from building kits. They think it is too hard, too time consuming and just not worth it when you can buy an ARF. You found out that building can be a very enjoyable part of the hobby as much as flying. I wish more people would do like you and take the plunge. We need to keep kit building a part of the hobby.
I hope you move on to more challenging kits and maybe scratch building from plans or even drawing your own plans.
Good luck and keep it up.

Bill