I think I can compete with many folks as to how long ago you built your 1st kit. Well, "build" might not be the right term for bathing it in tube glue, but the point stands.
However I took a break from high-school (when I was able to get girls to talk to me) through college and shortly thereafter. I picked the hobby back up for a few years from about 1988-1999, but then put everything away again until earlier this year.
Seems a lot has changed!
New paints are not toxic (I was 100% enamel and lacquer before), and these new glues come in bottles...WTF?!
I still have much more to learn than I know, and I only hope my eyesight holds up long enough to build my best kit ever, which is (so far) always the one up next.