diff --git a/2021/src/day18.rs b/2021/src/day18.rs
index 888f8f8..4853cb2 100644
--- a/2021/src/day18.rs
+++ b/2021/src/day18.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use color_eyre::eyre;
 
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 enum Node {
     Leaf(u8),
     Branch {
@@ -9,36 +9,9 @@ enum Node {
         right: Box<Node>,
     }
 }
+use Node::*;
 
 impl Node {
-    fn is_leaf(&self) -> bool {
-        match self {
-            Node::Leaf(_) => true,
-            Node::Branch {..} => false,
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn is_branch(&self) -> bool {
-        match self {
-            Node::Leaf(_) => false,
-            Node::Branch {..} => true,
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn unwrap_value(&self) -> u8 {
-        match self {
-            Node::Leaf(v) => *v,
-            Node::Branch {..} => panic!("Attempted to unwrap value from a branch node"),
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn value_mut(&mut self) -> &mut u8 {
-        match self {
-            Node::Leaf(v) => v,
-            Node::Branch {..} => panic!("Attempted to unwrap value from a branch node"),
-        }
-    }
-
     fn unwrap_branch(&self) -> (&Node, &Node) {
         match self {
             Node::Leaf(_) => panic!("Attempted to unwrap branches from a leaf node"),
@@ -113,71 +86,76 @@ fn load(data: &str) -> Vec<Node> {
 }
 
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
-enum ReduceOp {
-    Noop,
-    Split,
-    Explode(u8, u8),
-}
-
-
-fn walk(node: &mut Node, depth: usize) -> ReduceOp {
-    // just to improve readability
-    use {Node::*, ReduceOp::*};
+fn explode(node: &mut Node, depth: usize) -> Option<(u8, u8)> {
+    // only branch nodes can explode
+    if let Leaf(_) = node {return None;}
 
     if depth >= 4 {
-        if let Branch {left, right} = node {
-            let v1 = left.unwrap_value();
-            let v2 = right.unwrap_value();
-            *node = Leaf(0);
-            return Explode(v1, v2);
+        let (left, right) = node.unwrap_branch();
+        match (left, right) {
+            (Leaf(v1), Leaf(v2)) => {
+                let result = (*v1, *v2);
+                *node = Leaf(0);
+                return Some(result);
+            },
+            _ => (),
         }
     }
 
+    if let Branch {left, right} = node {
+        if let Some((v1, v2)) = explode(left, depth + 1) {
+            if v2 > 0 {
+                *right.leftmost_value_mut() += v2;
+                return Some((v1, 0));
+            }
+            return Some((v1, v2));
+        }
+
+        if let Some((v1, v2)) = explode(right, depth + 1) {
+            if v1 > 0 {
+                *left.rightmost_value_mut() += v1;
+                return Some((0, v2));
+            }
+            return Some((v1, v2));
+        }
+    }
+
+    return None;
+}
+
+
+fn split(node: &mut Node) -> bool {
     match node {
         Leaf(v) if *v > 9 => {
             *node = Branch {
                 left: Box::new(Leaf(*v / 2)),
                 right: Box::new(Leaf((*v + 1) / 2)),
             };
-            return Split
+            return true;
         },
-        Leaf(_) => return Noop,
-        // here's where it gets complicated
+        Leaf(_) => return false,
         Branch {left, right} => {
-            // keep walking, depth-first and left-first
-            let res = walk(left, depth + 1);
-            // if a sub-node exploded, and our right node is a leaf, add the right half of the explode to our right leaf
-            match res {
-                Explode(v1, v2) if v2 > 0 => {
-                    *right.leftmost_value_mut() += v2;
-                    // and propagate the explode up again, except we've already used v2 so replace it with 0
-                    return Explode(v1, 0);
-                },
-                Explode(..)|Split => return res,
-                Noop => (),
+            if split(left) {
+                return true;
             }
-
-            // if no children of the left branch exploded, keep going with the right
-            let res = walk(right, depth + 1);
-            // same concept, except we're adding the left half of the sub-explode to our left leaf (if it is a leaf)
-            match res {
-                Explode(v1, v2) if v1 > 0 => {
-                    *left.rightmost_value_mut() += v1;
-                    return Explode(0, v2);
-                },
-                Explode(..)|Split => return res,
-                Noop => (),
+            else {
+                return split(right);
             }
         }
     }
-    // if everything else completes, then there were no splits or explodes below us in the tree
-    return Noop
 }
 
 
 fn reduce(node: &mut Node) {
-    while let ReduceOp::Explode(..)|ReduceOp::Split = walk(node, 0) {}
+    loop {
+        if let Some(..) = explode(node, 0) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if split(node) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        break;
+    }
 }
 
 
@@ -191,22 +169,24 @@ fn add(left: Node, right: Node) -> Node {
 }
 
 
-const SAMPLE: &str = "[[1,2],[[3,4],5]]
-[[[[0,7],4],[[7,8],[6,0]]],[8,1]]
-[[[[1,1],[2,2]],[3,3]],[4,4]]
-[[[[3,0],[5,3]],[4,4]],[5,5]]
-[[[[5,0],[7,4]],[5,5]],[6,6]]
-[[[[8,7],[7,7]],[[8,6],[7,7]]],[[[0,7],[6,6]],[8,7]]]";
+pub fn run(data: &str) -> eyre::Result<(usize, usize)> {
+    let nodes = load(data);
+    let one = nodes.into_iter().reduce(|sum, next| add(sum, next)).unwrap();
 
-pub fn run(_data: &str) -> eyre::Result<(usize, usize)> {
-    let nodes = load(SAMPLE);
-
-    // let one = nodes.into_iter().reduce(|sum, next| add(sum, next));
-    // dbg!(one);
-
-    for node in nodes {
-        println!("{}", node.magnitude());
+    // I'm sure there's a more efficient way to do this, but
+    let mut max = 0;
+    let nodes2 = load(data);
+    for i in 0..nodes2.len() {
+        for j in 0..nodes2.len() {
+            if i == j {continue;}
+            let a = nodes2[i].clone();
+            let b = nodes2[j].clone();
+            let magnitude = add(a, b).magnitude();
+            if magnitude > max {
+                max = magnitude;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
-    Ok((0, 0))
+    Ok((one.magnitude(), max))
 }