I have similar experiences except they were before I was rated and I
ended up in the bumpy slow part of the sky.

It's ironic that while you train for approaches to 200feet and partial
panel misses, you end up using the rating to penetrate cloud decks at
thousands of feet and spend most of the flight regretting the fact that
you forgot your sunglasses.

The benefits aren't entirely obvious until you exercise them.

wrote:
THere's plenty of VMC where 2 mins of IFR flight thru IMC makes the
flight pleasuable, faster, and safer. That's where the sweet spot of
utility is.

You've got that right! I remember a flight last spring from Helena, MT to
the Fargo, ND area. There was a low stratus deck over the entire route with
widespread rain showers. 10 minutes of IMC at the beginning and end of the
flight meant I could cruise in smooth air at 11,000 ft with a 20+ kt
tailwind for the 4 hr flight. VFR would have taken an hour longer, scud
running in the bumps below the stratus deck while dodging rain showers (and
antenna towers!).