You are right.
Also, the distances for visiting are too great.
"Out there" has the exact same elements that are here on earth. The periodic chart works for all existence. The only changes to those elements would be heat, cold and rather large explosions.
Probably all that would be found would be, at best, some bacteria--or old records of Ethel Merman singing: "There's NO business like SHOW business." :o)
Even if we somehow had enough fuel, our lifetimes are too short to get there. Even stasis sleep wouldn't be viable.
The astronauts wouldn't get back to earth for a thousand light years.
Their gardens would sure need watering, wouldn't they?
A light year is ~9.5 x 1015 meters. It's a measure of distance, not time.
You are right. Also, the distances for visiting are too great.