Sounds like you and I started using Perl around the same time. 
It’s so versatile, and I love its regular expression capabilities.
Python and I never got along, so I avoid it. I am in the minority.
You should take a look at Julia (the language), which might appeal to you. It uses a just in time compiler that makes it nearly as fast as C, and it has syntax similar to Python, but it uses braces instead of indents (Perl like, and important to me). Search Julia vs Python for some interesting reading, and good luck!