I don’t think you need to feel silly. Programming languages are tools. Some are better suited for jobs than others.

AoC is good for two skills:

1. Learning how to solve problems.
2. Learning how to process and model data.

With python #2 is no longer difficult. In the past I’ve used Rust or C and I spent way more effort on #2 than #1.

I think the key is what is your goal in doing this? I like the puzzles but have limited time so I use python to solve them quickly and be on my way. If I had more time i would have liked to learn / try go this year.

Python

Not my first, second, or third choice. But I’m in between moves and have very limited access to my desktop (even remotely/SSH) so I need the simplest tool for the job.