I think that you made the right choice, if you have a tour coming up soon then this is a bad time to try something different.
I used to detest using the drops, but after I dropped about 15 percent of my body weight, much of that in the abdomen area, drop bars are much more comfortable. I now use drop position for headwinds on a regular basis. Some days use that position a third of the time.
A friend of mine never used the drops, he switched to a different set of bars and he is not looking back. So, it is an acquired taste.
You mention brake position, on my touring bikes and rando bike I run drop bars AND interrupter type brake levers. There are photos of those bike handlebars at this link:
Racks/Bags and Interrupter Levers
I posted that link for a different purpose, but all four of the photos show the interrupter brake levers, the second photo shows the one closest to the camera best as that bike has silver ones that are easier to see. Thus, I can use the brakes from the hoods or I can have my hands up near the stem and use the interrupter brake levers there.
I do not use the interrupter levers much during the first couple hours of a ride, but after six or eight or ten hours, I have my hands up in that position more often.
It is very easy to see the interrupter lever on the right side in this photo, teh left side lever is behind the stem.
More on the levers here, they call them cross top levers instead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtPBPn3kXlM