If you're interested in learning, I'd recommend installing Arch and going with a more minimal WM such as i3 (my personal favorite). This'll require a fair bit of time and research filling in functionality that your current setup handles for you, but you'll learn a ton and end up with a fully customized system you know the ins and outs of. Such is the beauty of GNU/Linux :]
Certainly fair - Mint is a great distro. Enjoy the journey