I have had geographic tongue pretty much constantly for just over a year. will it ever go away or will it persist like this for the rest of my life?

Probably: It is usually a chronic condition exacerbated by certain food, stress, or hormonal influences in women (menstruating). Foods can include spicy foods, sour foods, citrus, walnuts, eggplant, tomato , sharp cheese, among others. Many of them are high in natural salicylates- found in aspirin. Do a search for foods to avoid online and see if avoidance helps.

Tongue shape: For most of geographic tongues, they will stay for almost lifetime. Unless it is cause by infection. The shape of tongue might be vary with the time but does not cause any problem or discomfort. If there is unhealed infection or the smooth/rough spots does not move around with the time, please see your dentist/ physician for further evaluation.

Possibly: Geographic tongue is not "normal", but rather a benign, usually, but not always painless, inflammatory process that alters normal tongue anatomy. It can come and go in its own. It will go away without treatment, but can and often will return. It is not contagious. Treatment is not necessary unless symptoms of burning develop, contact your dentist.