AFTER two glorious weeks in the blistering Mexican heat coming home to freezing cold Glasgow has been tough let me tell you.

 

Although not quite as tough as weighing yourself after an all inclusive holiday where you ate and drank like it was your last two weeks on earth.#

But thankfully denial is one of my strongest suits so I've managed to just breeze by that whole bombshell.

It was however, worth every pound I gained because it was honestly one of the best holidays I have ever been on and also confirmed to me that I have most definitely turned a corner in my life.

When I was younger going on holiday with the girls meant partying all night and sleeping through the sunshine all day.

I would spend hours getting ready to go on our wild night out struggling in vain to tame my wild holiday hair which had a look of the Tasmanian Devil about it due to the humidity.

We'd hit the town around 10 o'clock at night and wouldn't come home until the sun came up well not unless the alcohol consumed that evening came up before old mr sunshine did but the less said about that the better.

I remember one particular holiday I went on with my friends to Salou in the Costa Dorada.

I was around 19-years-old and had saved up for the most gorgeous pair of red patent high heels with a little strap over them to take on holiday, why anyone would wear high heels in that heat is beyond me now.

But it was the nineties when I also thought silk shirts would never go out of fashion and that after their 1997 smash hit Tubthumping the band Chumbawamba would go on to have a glittering career, so that pretty much says it all about my judgement during that time.

Anyway after spending hours getting done up like a fish supper we hit the mean street of Salou for our wild night out of fun and dancing until dawn when disaster struck.

While walking to the next bar my heel got caught on a grate in the street and I absolutely could not get it out. After five minutes of pulling and hauling at my leg my friend suggested I slip out of the heel and try and remove it from the grate that way but because of the heat I couldn't get my foot out of the shoe as it had swollen so badly.

By this time quite a little crowd had gathered all wanting a shot of trying to set free my gorgeous red patent show from the greedy little grate who was not for releasing it and I remember thinking trying to remove Excalibur from the stone would have surely been easier.

After 20 or so minutes has gone by during which time I had been handed two vodkas and fresh orange and

something called a hellraiser shot from the bar across the street a Spanish ambulance had turned up and onlookers were now starting to take pictures of the Scottish girl with her foot caught in a stank.

Finally the paramedic had no choice but to do the unthinkable and cut me out of my beloved red heels destroying them completely and in my utter distress I did what any young girl in my situation would do and continued on our pub crawl with one high heel on and a plastic bag over my other shoeless foot and managed to have a pretty fantastic night considering the circumstances.

Fast forward 16 years to my holiday in Mexico and I was up every morning at 7am, showered dressed, down for breakfast on the balcony of the restaurant overlooking the sea and for the rest of the day my friend Sheryl and I would be plonked on a sun lounger soaking up the sun, going for a swim and a strawberry daiquiri in the pool bar chatting away to folk and would maybe even play a game of cards in the shade if it got too warm in the afternoon.

Then we headed upstairs after the sun has gone to get showered and dressed for dinner, watch whatever entertainment was on and would be in bed by 11pm at the latest.

I know this might sound very boring but I'm not in the least bit ashamed.

I've come home feeling utterly fantastic, rested and I even managed to pick up quite a lovely little freckled glow about me, not bad work for someone who wears factor 50 sunscreen.

Yes my name is Michelle McManus and I'm no longer that little girl who continued on a Spanish pub crawl wearing a plastic bag over one foot and I like it.

Best of luck to all the fabulous and inspirational women nominated at tonight's Scots Woman of The Year Awards.

It is without a shadow of a doubt my favourite event of the year and a major reason I am so proud to have a column in the Evening Times newspaper.

I'm honoured to be associated with a paper that recognises the unbelievable achievements of women in this

country and I know the ceremony tonight will be another cracker.

Best of luck again but remember ladies you are already winners.