Glad I could help.  And first off, I'll say congratulations! Not because one diet is better or more "right" than another, but because you've had your moment of enlightenment and understanding and it sounds like this is *right* for you. And that rocks!
I had a feeling that your reasons were going to turn out to be mostly ethical, and I definitely respect that, even if it's the one thing that's never going to figure into my personal decision. (And that's something that will ALWAYS separate me from other vegans, because I don't have problems with wearing my leather shoes that I bought from the thrift store, etc etc.) But it's always interesting to hear that perspective from someone. It's a level of mindfulness that I just don't have, to do that *completely*.
You're right, by the way... to someone who's never tried it, it sounds like a lot of work, but it becomes second nature pretty quickly. I might still wear my leather shoes, but I've been a longtime user of personal care products not tested on animals, and I'm a lot less likely to smoosh a bug than I was 10 years ago. (Mosquitoes, I'm sorry, I just can't feel bad about those yet.)
My own decision to go vegan is just based on how much better I feel when I don't eat animal products. The best way I can describe it is that I feel lighter and cleaner - maybe you'll know what I'm talking about. Now, right now, I've been having such bad digestive problems that grilled chicken is one of the only protein sources I can tolerate... but as soon as I can eat soy again, I'm pretty sure I'm going to make the switch. I've hated eating meat ever since I was a kid. It's tasty, but I worry too much. I worry about hormones and additives, I worry about whether or not it's good and how long it's sat on the supermarket shelf. (You think your meat is fresh? Guess again. Most supermarket meats are repackaged several times until they sell.) Back when I was a vegetarian, I just didn't worry about food as much as I do now. (And ya know, I've never gotten food poisoning from a soyburger... I can't say the same for chicken.)
And as someone who loves to cook, and who finds the chemistry of cooking kind of fascinating (say it with me now... Casey, you're a geek!), I've always found vegetarian cooking to be a lot more creative than meat-based. I'm not sure why. The same basic cooking techniques are used for each, but vegetarian food ends up seeming more interesting to me by the time you're done preparing it. The flavors aren't as predictable, maybe? Anyway, it's not a *reason* for switching, but for me, it's a bonus. Once I can start eating all that stuff again, I'm going to start really LOVING my time in the kitchen again, too.
Anyway, I've done a lot of rambling with very little point again.  It sounds like you're happy and at peace with your decision, and that's what really matters. Congrats again, and good luck with it. 
PS - I used to make a wicked "tuna" salad out of chickpeas. It seriously tasted like tuna. You know, should you ever get a craving, heh.
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Re: Decision on vegetarianism/veganism
