I can relate with a number of things you mentioned ( well, our apartment growing up wasn't made up of 1/3 books though. More like 1/6, which was enough to inspire a hunger for books). I also took the science option because it was a thing of prestige then. If I could rewind time, I would make a different choice. I won two statewide essay competitions, one fine art competition (yes, fine art, even though I wasn't offering the subject as a science student). I also excelled in the sciences, representing my school in separate mathematics and chemistry competitions. But if there is something I would love to spend the rest of my life doing, it would be writing and teaching (I'm afraid I'm not doing enough of both currently). Boy, do I ever feel not good enough! After reading the works of others, that feeling gets reinforced (for the records, your works do that to me as well. If I catch you ehn!) Take it from me (for all that my opinion is worth to you), you are an awesome writer. I can't wait to celebrate your success in the global literary space.