I’ve been letting this post brew in my head for days. And then today, as I got ready to log in and draft it, I saw someone share this other BlogHer ’12-related post on Twitter–BlogHer, Private Parties and Such: Some Thoughts and Advice–and it made some of the points I had considered writing here. Especially the part about not buying a new wardrobe for a conference! If you’re fighting the itch to shop before BlogHer, go read that post.

Yes, of course I am fighting the urge to buy new, pretty things. But I am happy to report that I’m winning that fight so far.

The other part of that post that really spoke to me was this:

So, go to BlogHer. Get as much of the experience as you can. Rest when you need to rest. Learn what you want to learn. Meet who you want to meet. Make it YOUR OWN conference experience.

All along, I’d been looking at BlogHer with two goals in mind: First and most important, it’s an opportunity for me to connect with women who mean so much to me, whether they know it or not. Like Susan, A’Driane, and Yael, among quite a few others. It’s also a time away from the usual grind to have a really effing good time with my friend Melanie, who has already warned me that we may not actually sleep (yikes).

Second, I’m anticipating that BlogHer ’12 will spark some new ideas for this space. I hope that I come home from the conference with a list of frantically scribbled ideas. I’m also looking for some social media advice I can use at my day job, where I manage several Twitter and Facebook accounts.

With those two goals in mind, I have to be careful to find the balance between attending all the sessions that appeal to me and also finding plenty of down time to hug and talk with everyone on my list. And yes, I literally have a list called “People I must hug at BlogHer ’12.”

I do not want to get bogged down by any one aspect of the conference, but rather I’d like to experience a little of this, a little of that, and a whole lot of hanging out and talking. And maybe a fair amount of drinking, too.

And maybe some karaoke with Amiyrah and A’Driane.

And definitely some sleep.

Are you going? Let me know so I can add you to my must hug list!