diff --git a/18/main.go b/18/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a56f73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func mustAtoi(line rune) int {
+	i, _ := strconv.Atoi(string(line))
+	return i
+}
+
+func main() {
+	start := time.Now()
+	partOne()
+	duration := time.Since(start)
+	partTwo()
+	duration2 := time.Since(start)
+	fmt.Printf("p1: %s, p2: %s\n", duration, duration2-duration)
+}
+
+func makeScanner(test bool) *bufio.Scanner {
+	var f *os.File
+	if test {
+		f, _ = os.Open("inputs/testinput")
+	} else {
+		f, _ = os.Open("inputs/input")
+	}
+	reader := bufio.NewReader(f)
+	return bufio.NewScanner(reader)
+}
+
+type pair struct {
+	parent *pair
+	leftp  *pair
+	left   int
+	rightp *pair
+	right  int
+}
+
+func Parse(raw string) *pair {
+	root := &pair{}
+	var current *pair
+	left := true
+	for _, v := range raw {
+		switch v {
+		case '[':
+			if current == nil {
+				current = root
+			} else {
+				p := &pair{parent: current}
+				if left {
+					current.leftp = p
+				} else {
+					current.rightp = p
+				}
+				current = p
+			}
+			left = true
+		case ']':
+			current = current.parent
+		case ',':
+			left = false
+		case '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9':
+			if left {
+				current.left = mustAtoi(v)
+			} else {
+				current.right = mustAtoi(v)
+			}
+		case ' ':
+			continue
+		default:
+			panic("what the: " + string(v))
+		}
+	}
+	return root
+}
+
+func (p *pair) String() string {
+	var left, right string
+	if p.leftp == nil {
+		left = fmt.Sprintf("%d", p.left)
+	} else {
+		left = p.leftp.String()
+	}
+	if p.rightp == nil {
+		right = fmt.Sprintf("%d", p.right)
+	} else {
+		right = p.rightp.String()
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("[%s,%s]", left, right)
+}
+
+func (p *pair) Magnitude() int {
+	left := 0
+	right := 0
+	if p.leftp == nil {
+		left = p.left
+	} else {
+		left = p.leftp.Magnitude()
+	}
+	if p.rightp == nil {
+		right = p.right
+	} else {
+		right = p.rightp.Magnitude()
+	}
+	return left*3 + right*2
+}
+
+func Add(left, right *pair) *pair {
+	return &pair{
+		leftp:  left,
+		rightp: right,
+	}
+}
+
+func Reduce(p *pair) *pair {
+	return &pair{} // ???
+}
+
+func Split(p *pair) *pair {
+	if p.left > 9 {
+		p.leftp = &pair{
+			left:  p.left / 2,
+			right: (p.left / 2) + (p.left % 2),
+		}
+		p.left = 0
+		return p
+	}
+	if p.right > 9 {
+		p.rightp = &pair{
+			left:  p.right / 2,
+			right: (p.right / 2) + (p.right % 2),
+		}
+		p.right = 0
+		return p
+	}
+	return p
+}
+
+func MustExplode(depth int, p *pair) bool {
+	if depth >= 4 {
+		return true
+	}
+	if p.leftp != nil {
+		m := MustExplode(depth+1, p.leftp)
+		if m {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	if p.rightp != nil {
+		m := MustExplode(depth+1, p.rightp)
+		if m {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func partOne() {
+	scanner := makeScanner(false)
+
+	scanner.Scan()
+	line := scanner.Text()
+	total := Parse(line)
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		line := scanner.Text()
+		total = Add(total, Parse(line))
+	}
+	fmt.Println(total)
+}
+
+func partTwo() {
+	scanner := makeScanner(false)
+
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		// line := scanner.Text()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/18/main_test.go b/18/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61eb6f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []string{
+		"[1,2]",
+		"[[3,2],1]",
+		"[[3,2],[4,5]]",
+		"[[3,2],[[7,8],5]]",
+		"[[1,2],3]",
+		"[9,[8,7]]",
+		"[[1,9],[8,5]]",
+		"[[[[1,2],[3,4]],[[5,6],[7,8]]],9]",
+		"[[[9,[3,8]],[[0,9],6]],[[[3,7],[4,9]],3]]",
+		"[[[[1,3],[5,3]],[[1,3],[8,7]]],[[[4,9],[6,9]],[[8,2],[7,3]]]]",
+	}
+	for _, input := range cases {
+		p := Parse(input)
+		if input != p.String() {
+			t.Log(p.String())
+			t.Fail()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMustExplode(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := map[string]bool{
+		"[1,2]":                             false,
+		"[[[[2,4],4],[2,3]],1]":             false,
+		"[[[[[4,3],4],4],1],3]":             true,
+		"[2,[1,[4,[3,[4,3]]]]]":             true,
+		"[[[[0,7],4],[7,[[8,4],9]]],[1,1]]": true,
+	}
+	for input, output := range cases {
+		if MustExplode(0, Parse(input)) != output {
+			t.Log(input)
+			t.Fail()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAdd(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := map[string][]*pair{
+		"[[1,2],[[3,4],5]]": {
+			&pair{left: 1, right: 2},
+			&pair{leftp: &pair{left: 3, right: 4}, right: 5},
+		},
+	}
+	for answer, pairs := range cases {
+		r := Add(pairs[0], pairs[1])
+		if r.String() != answer {
+			fmt.Printf("%s %s", r, answer)
+			t.Fail()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMagnitude(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := map[int]*pair{
+		29: {left: 9, right: 1},
+		21: {left: 1, right: 9},
+		129: {
+			leftp:  &pair{left: 9, right: 1},
+			rightp: &pair{left: 1, right: 9},
+		},
+		143: {
+			leftp:  &pair{left: 1, right: 2},
+			rightp: &pair{leftp: &pair{left: 3, right: 4}, right: 5},
+		},
+	}
+	for answer, pair := range cases {
+		r := pair.Magnitude()
+		if r != answer {
+			fmt.Printf("%d %d", r, answer)
+			t.Fail()
+		}
+	}
+}