Jose wrote:
90 percent of my actual IMC has been after work,in the
hot summer months, in the dark dodging thunderstorm cells on x-country
flights.The approach controllers can't see the weather, just yesterday
they told us we were in a thunder cell while were were in VMC, 3 miles,
haze. Another time, while getting bounced near a towering cumulus
illuminated by lightning, an approach controller responded to our
request for cloud top info with a " ah..we're closed, contact Seymour
Johnson approach on their frequency."

I think this is insane

If it is as you describe it, then it =is= insane, especially for a
relataively new pilot, let alone new to IMC. Thuderstorms should be
entered only in dreams.

Alas, some parts of the country are either VFR or thunderstorms. Others
are VFR or ice (like the Northeast in winter).

It may be that different times of year will offer some actual IFR time
which is not convective. I'm not all that familiar with the weather out
there.

Gotta agree with Jose here. Summer may offer the most challenging
weather due to thunderstorms. Getting anywhere near convective stuff is
scary even for seasoned pilots. If you can dodge t-storms in the dark
(in a 172, no less) without any kind of wx equipment aboard you're a
better man than me. I never flew any hard IFR until I got in with a
charter company and started flying a Pilatus. Having good equipment
makes a huge difference (radar, Nexrad downlink) when flying through
the nasty stuff. We still get bounced around but we're able to avoid
the worst of it for the most part.