C++ has many followers but it's a multi-headed beast and some of it can be much harder to grasp. I think it's easier to argue that it's better than C; all you need to do is to look at C code that tries to implement some patterns that are more naturally expressed in C++. Go isn't really a substitute for C++ but one might argue D is.
Sounds like C++ and you didn't quite work out. I'd still encourage trying to figure out how some pieces of C++ can improve your C code and use those. You're welcome to stick to C in the rest of your code. A lot of "real programmers" do use C++ successfully and a lot of software you use has C++ in it's DNA...
EDIT: (That said I would only expose new students to C++ after they've seen C and some higher level language so they can appreciate the niche that it fills)
Whoops, I didn't mean to give the impression that C++ guys weren't real programmers. Of course they are. I literally meant "real programmers" as in, anybody who had more experience than I did. I was completely self-taught.
I will probably never touch C++ again. I solve all my problems with Ruby and if I ever need to go lower-level, I'll break out C and maybe Lua.
Sounds like C++ and you didn't quite work out. I'd still encourage trying to figure out how some pieces of C++ can improve your C code and use those. You're welcome to stick to C in the rest of your code. A lot of "real programmers" do use C++ successfully and a lot of software you use has C++ in it's DNA...
EDIT: (That said I would only expose new students to C++ after they've seen C and some higher level language so they can appreciate the niche that it fills)