Welcome to Strangers from KCW and Radiotopia.

I'm Leah Tao.

And it's a new year, a time for hope or worry, for regrets or new plans,

time to count our blessings or pick up the pieces.

Last year around this time, as 2016 was just beginning, Jared and Sherry in Utah were really excited about the year ahead, but things did not work out as they had hoped, to say the least.

Here's Jarrett, taking us back to where it all started.

It was so funny because I remember seeing her on that college campus where we both

enrolled that fall, and she had long brown hair and long legs that I was very

attracted to and beautiful brown eyes that just sucked you in.

And I stopped to talk to her.

You know, it wasn't super smooth, but I was kind of asking her directions where different classes were on the campus.

Then like three other guys came up, like a line of guys, and we're all just wanting to ask Sherry directions.

She went on a lot of dates that first semester, and she was so far above my league.

But I was very persistent. I'd call her often. I'd get her gift. She was very into music.

So I got lots of vinyl records. And when she finally kind of started to show interest in me, it was Halloween of 2004.

We were kind of going through dress-up clothes at my house, and we found two Batman costumes.

You know, they had like the built-in muscles in the stomach and stuff. We both died our hair white,

and we were old bat-mans.

And then we went to, you know, this group party thing.

And we weren't official at that point, but there were guys still, like, you know,

hitting on her at this whole party, which I was so jealous because I was like,

we came together.

...