My first Ball Python was named Helix. I took her out every single day. She and I spent many days outside on the grass. Sometimes I'd lie on the floor reading a book while she would explore the room (which was empty at the time). She would let me touch her head, open her mouth and even squeeze her pudgy cheeks. She also climbed a lot.
I felt that she "loved" to be out, exploring. But, what I've learned since then is that she "Tolerated" being touched, and she was more than likely climbing and exploring in order to find a safer place to hide. Snakes are reptiles, and their brains are not capable of emotions the way you are mentioning above.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying your pet and it's nice to hear you love your snake as much as you do. Just don't confuse tolerance with emotions.
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