May: FERNWEH

Hello, journaling friends! In 2025, our monthly Cafe Analog’s friendly journaling challenge #caprojectme25 will take its prompts from beautiful words/phrases from various languages around the world! We think it will be a fun way to start the year while also allowing you to design a spread based on the essence of a word/phrase, making it very personal to you! We will also have three journaling prompts for you to choose from as a way for you to connect more with the month’s word/phrase selection!

The phrase for May is a German word, “FERNWEH”.

Fernweh can be translated into something like “farsickness” or a deep longing for distant places, which captures the essence of a yearning soul. It embodies a poetic spirit of being adventurous and curious about what lies beyond our immediate surroundings. We also believe this longing is a way to discover ourselves and the places we dream of living, the lifestyle we dream of having, and the person we dream of being.

The distant places we long for may be physical places: a mountain, a small cabin deep in the forest, a small cottage by the cliffside, the rooftop of the highest building where you can see the city lights and the glory of man-made creations…

But these “distant places” can also be a feeling: places that feels like home, places that makes us feel like we belong and have a purpose, places that embrace us with warmth, places that fill us up with energy and creativity and inspiration…

And maybe, this “distant place” can also be a person—someone you want to be with.

Pondering this question and thinking of the word “fernweh” resonates with every one of us who have ever felt like venturing beyond our comfort zone; who sometimes question whether there is something more that we can experience, and wonder about the possibilities that lie ahead of us.

In May, the vibrant blooming of flowers and the welcoming warmth of spring awaken a sense of adventure as we dream of travel and new experiences. We think the word Fernweh is perfect for our journaling adventure this month!

This month, create a spread with your stationery supplies or other materials to capture the essence of the phrase FERNWEH for you. If the word is a journal spread, what would it look like?

Here are some creative journaling prompts for you to choose from:

1.

Dream Destinations

Write about a “place” you feel a deep longing for… either a physical place, a feeling, a person… or maybe a stage in your life that you long to experience. What draws you to it, and how do you envision yourself in this place?

2.

Following Your Curiosity

What are some of the things you’re curious about? Are there things you wish to know more, to learn about? When you were little, how did you like to spend your time, and what did you enjoy doing for hours? What were some of the topics or wonders that occupied your thoughts? What do you think these curiosities/interests tell you about yourself?

3.

Parallel Universe

Imagine 1, 2, or 3 possibilities of a good life that can branch out of your life’s timeline if you choose a different path. What if you decided not to go to university? What if you chose not to move to another country? What if you decided NOT to quit your job? What good things may come from them, and how could you be alright with that? Write a possible story of you taking these different paths, making sure they always end up with you being happy and content. It’s a good exercise to see and think of different good outcomes from various circumstances.

We hope these prompts give you time to discover new things about yourself and give you some inspiration on how you’d like to experience your life from this point forward!

Feel free to share your pages and spreads with the hashtag #caprojectme25 if you’d like others who join the project to find yours, and you can also see how others translate FERNWEH into their journal pages!

Have fun, and we hope that this May, you will answer the call of adventure to discover more about yourself and follow your curiosity with a childlike wonder!

love, H.