How does time pass in such a shocking way?

How does time pass in such a shocking way? My graphic memoir, Run Home, is coming soon. Okay, when I say “soon,” that’s a bit of a relative concept as it’s about 300 days away—January 26, 2026. But in comparison to how long it’s taken to create, and how long it’s taken me to come to peace with writing it… it’s very soon.

When starting this book’s outline, I was actually on a train in China, traveling from Zhengzhou to Suzhou in 2019 while working as an illustrator for a live theatre production.

Photo by Dean Stevenson

There is something magical about creativity on a train. Growing up in New York City, I often felt these bursts of inspiration on the subway, especially because this was before cell service was available down there and there weren’t other distractions. I miss that idle time to just be in my head, and maybe this is a reminder to myself to make that happen again.

On that train in China, I was riding the wave of extreme joy and terror after signing with Macmillan on a three-book graphic novel deal. I will never forget being on the phone outside of the restaurant in Zhengzhou, receiving this news from my agent.

If it had taken me ten years to see where Big Apple Diaries was going, I figured I needed to know what to write about next as soon as possible. I wrote an outline of where I saw the next part of my memoir going, knowing that the next one should also be in the same format.

I felt comfortable enough—and compelled—to write about the time after Big Apple Diaries took place. All within that following year way back then, I started a new school where I knew no one, joined the track team, my dad got remarried, and then died a few months later. Why should I write a fictional story for young readers if I have a story like this to tell from the other side? I knew from that day on the train that this book would be called Run Home.

Side note: I only recently noticed there is a similarly themed prose book for adults called Running Home by Katie Arnold, published in 2019. I noticed this after I was googling my own book. At first I was disappointed by this, but it seems serendipitously perfect that there are two similar books for different types of readers. It reinvigorates my confidence that this is the right book to be putting out there.

If you asked me back then whether I would write a book about that type of life-altering experience, I would’ve thought you were from another planet. Being a young person is so difficult even without these added layers on top. It took many, many, many years (15–20?!) to feel comfortable enough to share my experiences from that time. Through that lens of time, space, and healing was when I realised the saving graces of my teenage years—running, writing, drawing, and friendships. I saw the importance of sharing themes such as these to help young people today see real stories of deep emotion, seeing that they too can get through it.

When I was a teenager, I had an entire notebook dedicated for writing things like this.

Writing Run Home happened in the background of my other projects for a few months. I knew I wanted to show more comic panels than Big Apple Diaries in this one. I learned so much writing and illustrating Big Apple Diaries, and the writing format for Run Home felt more experienced.

I dug through so many diaries, poem notebooks, online journals, and photos of my teen years to gather enough authentic language and feeling to pull from. While it is incredibly difficult looking at what I wrote back then, I just wanted more than anything to give “Little A” a hug and tell her she’ll get through this. I wanted to show young teens now that expressing these feelings is most important of all. Finding your people, your passion, and your path is essential.

Six out of about 20 different cover ideas.

Run Home: A Graphic Memoir by Alyssa Bermudez debuts worldwide January 2026. Subscribe for more behind the scenes insight into making this dream come true.

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Here’s the summary:

This heartrending graphic memoir by Alyssa Bermudez ( Big Apple Diaries ) is a moving and unforgettable story about inner strength, healing, and finding hope.

It's 2002, and 14-year-old Alyssa is a freshman at a new high school where she knows NO ONE and the uniforms are hideous! What a disaster...

Even worse? Her parents are forcing her to join the cross-country team. No one needs to run, or sweat, this much!

Over time though, Alyssa actually starts to like running. She's getting better with practice, and some of the girls on the team are really nice. Alyssa begins to find a steady rhythm with high school, cross country, and her new stepfamily.

But Alyssa's dad is sick, and she doesn't know what to do. When the worst thing imaginable happens, Alyssa will need to count on her friends, family, and herself to keep running forward.

Thanks for being on this journey with me.

-Alyssa

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