It's all about the weather

Where is the best weather in the world? Some say the Canary Islands, some say Costa Rica, Hawaii, or even a flyspeck town in Australia. These places do have great climates, but there are key differences between them and a place I prefer, San Diego, Calif.

• San Diego is a semi-arid desert, with only 9.5 inches of rain per year. Some of the others are tropical, with some humidity and more rainfall.
• San Diego is a major U.S. city, with the hoopla accompanying such cities: great infrastructure, roaring economy with oodles of jobs, professional and uncorrupt police force, and an international airport.
• San Diego is close to some fairly interesting things: the adventure that is Mexico, Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean, and several types of deserts ranging to the east.
  

San Diego is far from perfect, as anyone who lives here will tell you. On occasion, we're way too hot in the summer, and in winter it can be cold (55 degrees F), windy, and rainy. So why call it paradise? Because there's a 99.9% chance the weather here is much better than wherever you are. That's not a slam, it's statistics. The weather here is considerably better than Miami or Key West, better than Hawaii, Phoenix, or even nearby Los Angeles. There's just something about this exact spot that gives mild weather year round.

The only drawbacks are wildfires, earthquakes, and real estate prices. The first two are exciting anomalies, the third is a real ball breaker. In the Midwest, everybody with my income owns property, but here it's a modest rental.