I find wordpress.com a decent place to set up your own blog at. It's free, it's got a nice admin interface and the available templates look good. I have to admit though that I haven't tried many other options as I'm currently a bit under pressure. My wife Akiko and I are leaving for a two month trip to North America next Tuesday and there are still quite few things that need to be arranged. Look out for a travel dairy here at this blog!