Two things here:
1. Looking at leaving Windows.
I totally get it. While I was always OS-ambidextrous, my personal computer had always been Windows - 3.1 up until Win8. And that includes Vista, which was saying something. But with Win8, I felt that Microsoft had completely lost it, and I did the big shift to Mac. No regrets. I've even had the opportunity over the past year to regularly use a Win11 laptop. And while they got rid of most of the features that so irritated me in Win8, I have to say it really is lipstick on a pig and they really need to rebuild the OS from the ground up. But instead, seem more fixated on building in more apps (usually Media-focused) whose features already exist in others within the OS. Beyond word-processing, there's really very little I feel happy with on the OS, despite the plethora of apps out there. Nothing encourages me to use it as my default OS.
2. The tablet experience.
If you're finding you like / use the tactile elements of the iPad (noting your Apple pencil), then you're not going to experience that on a 'real' computer from Apple. Certainly creating / manipulating images is by far easier on an iPad, but beyond that, you may find yourself disappointed / frustrated by the tablet experience when doing an 'real' computer work. Despite efforts, many iOS-equivalent apps to full computer applications can be...frustrating, while connectivity to any peripherals you may have or find as you travel is often very hit-and-miss.
If real computing is important to you, I would definitely encourage the leap to MacOS. Perhaps similarly to you, I purchased a small tablet for media consumption / eReader / lightweight games (albeit an under $100 8" Amazon Fire, that I can toss into a satchel or may see fall off a coffee table without seeing my bank account flash before my eyes), while for my real computing, I have an older MacBook Air.
The location of controls for apps and windows takes some time to get used to when coming from Windows, but it's hardly insurmountable. There may be an additional initial outlay as you buy Mac apps equivalent to Windows, but by your description of how you see you using it, it doesn't sound that there may be specialist software that doesn't have a Mac equivalent that you can't live without.
Meanwhile, the fact you already have iOS devices means there is some useful connectivity between the two OSs.
Much has been said about the differences between the M1 and M2 Airs. I've been reading these comments (and looking at the devices) as I've considered upgrading. Much - for I daresay a majority of users and real world usage - is pretty much down to personal choice and how much money they are willing on putting out. For Office applications, cruising the web, the occasional photo or video manipulation, it seems to me the M1 works just fine - while I do appreciate the structural design changes (including the keyboard layout and the return of Magsafe) in the M2.
That said, the M1 is now 2 years old, so one has to wonder how much longer Apple will support it - their hardware usually lasting longer than the demands of their next OS - and so, the additional expense for hardware that supports the current OS may be a better bet in the long run. Having said that, I do recall having to replace a Windows laptop every 2 years to keep up with their OS - so the possibility that you may have a Mac for over 4 years with an OS that still supports it may be just fine with you.
