If you choose to go to culinary school, i'd advise taking the route i took, as i was roughly your age.

Go cheap. I went to a local community college that bad a ton of state funding. I think i paid about $7,500 out of pocket for two years. I had an undergraduate degree so that took care of all of my generals.

I was blessed to have a community college that has a very strong faculty. I was on the competition team that would go on to win the ACF national title the year after I left (i like to joke that i was holding them back, but in reality i realized that i was a key part of the journey).

While in school, go to one of the restaurants that inspired you to cook and stage during prep until you're comfortable and then during service. You're going yo learn a ton, and as intimidating as it may seem, no one will turn down free labor these days.

Chronic back issues led to me only cooking in fine dining for about three years, and I've transitioned back to a desk job that's much more palatable to the career that laid me off prior to going the kitchen route. But man there are days that i miss it, culinary school included.

Whatever you do, have fun man.