Well, first and foremost, have you played BGT or EasyTutu or BGEE with BG1 NPC installed? *That's* what one should start with, I think.
Other than that, Widescreen, Level1NPCs and Tweaks are a must, I think.
Fixpack is an option. BG2EE(Enhanced Edition from Beamdog, includes Fixpack, or most of it) is an interesting option - they have momentary quicksaves, for one.
Other mods are up to the taste. I don't know which ones you'd like. Dace, Angelo, Irenicus from the Longer Road, Kivan, my Xan, Sarevok Friendship, Romantic Encounters, - well, quite a few quest mods on this very forum, too. Read the readmes, listen to the voices and take your pick.
I would caution you against installing too many mods at once or dealing with a mega install after such a long period right away - chances are you'll be dealing with installation issues for quite a while, and getting some mods you don't like. But you can check it out later, when you're comfortable and know your way around.