I think the interaction with others is important manX on many levels. I have used a 1 on 1 trainer before, but he really isn't the person I want to work with to move forward. However, he would be an awesome guy to jam with. Same age, we listen to the same music etc. So there are good bonds and I genuinely enjoy his company. He's just a bit of a scatter brain, and although he clearly knows how to play, I find it hard to keep him focused on the task at hand without him jumping here to there.
I can jam with my son, and that is great, but he is a trained drummer. He does know some guitar, but like you I have in my mind that I want to jam with other guitar players both for the enjoyment and for the benefits of learning by "being with" others. Osmosis if you will.
This year the diet is definitely gonna stick!