diff --git a/day12/main.exs b/day12/main.exs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df6c5f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/day12/main.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+defmodule Day12 do
+  def run do
+    garden =
+      File.read!("data.txt")
+      |> String.trim()
+      |> String.split("\n")
+      |> Enum.map(fn el -> String.graphemes(el) end)
+
+    height = length(garden)
+    width = length(hd(garden))
+
+    # generate a list of regions (a region is a lists of coords)
+    regions =
+      Enum.reduce(0..(height - 1), [], fn row, acc1 ->
+        Enum.reduce(0..(width - 1), acc1, fn col, acc2 ->
+          # does this coordinate already exist in a region
+          if Enum.any?(acc2, fn x -> Enum.member?(x, {row, col}) end) do
+            acc2
+          else
+            char = element_at({row, col}, garden)
+            res = findRegion(char, {row, col}, garden, [])
+
+            if is_nil(res), do: acc2, else: [res | acc2]
+          end
+        end)
+      end)
+
+    part1 = Enum.reduce(regions, 0, fn r, acc -> acc + perimeter(r, garden) * length(r) end)
+    dbg(part1)
+
+    # part2 = Enum.map(regions, fn r -> sides(r, garden) end)
+    part2 = Enum.reduce(regions, 0, fn r, acc -> acc + sides(r, garden) * length(r) end)
+    dbg(part2)
+  end
+
+  defp sides(region, garden) do
+    # scan from north to south, west to east
+    height = length(garden)
+    width = length(hd(garden))
+
+    left_to_right =
+      Enum.reduce(0..(height - 1), %{top: false, bottom: false, sides: 0}, fn row, acc ->
+        Enum.reduce(0..(width - 1), acc, fn col, acc2 ->
+          el = element_at({row, col}, garden)
+          in_region = Enum.member?(region, {row, col})
+
+          if in_region do
+            # if the cell above is different, and it wasn't before, we're starting a new side
+            upper_cell_different = element_at({row - 1, col}, garden) != el
+            up_side = if upper_cell_different and !acc2.top, do: 1, else: 0
+            # same with cell below
+            lower_cell_different = element_at({row + 1, col}, garden) != el
+            down_side = if lower_cell_different and !acc2.bottom, do: 1, else: 0
+
+            %{
+              top: upper_cell_different,
+              bottom: lower_cell_different,
+              sides: acc2.sides + up_side + down_side
+            }
+          else
+            # we are not in a region
+            %{top: false, bottom: false, sides: acc2.sides}
+          end
+        end)
+      end)
+
+    top_to_bottom =
+      Enum.reduce(0..(width - 1), %{left: false, right: false, sides: 0}, fn col, acc ->
+        Enum.reduce(0..(height - 1), acc, fn row, acc2 ->
+          el = element_at({row, col}, garden)
+          in_region = Enum.member?(region, {row, col})
+
+          if in_region do
+            # if the cell to the left is different, and it wasn't before, we're starting a new side
+            left_cell_different = element_at({row, col - 1}, garden) != el
+            left_side = if left_cell_different and !acc2.left, do: 1, else: 0
+            # same with cell to the right
+            right_cell_different = element_at({row, col + 1}, garden) != el
+            right_side = if right_cell_different and !acc2.right, do: 1, else: 0
+
+            %{
+              left: left_cell_different,
+              right: right_cell_different,
+              sides: acc2.sides + left_side + right_side
+            }
+          else
+            # we are not in a region
+            %{left: false, right: false, sides: acc2.sides}
+          end
+        end)
+      end)
+
+    left_to_right.sides + top_to_bottom.sides
+  end
+
+  defp perimeter(region, garden) do
+    # scan from north to south, west to east, when we enter or leave a region, add 1
+    height = length(garden)
+    width = length(hd(garden))
+
+    left_to_right =
+      Enum.reduce(0..height, %{in_region: false, edges: 0}, fn row, acc ->
+        Enum.reduce(0..width, acc, fn col, acc2 ->
+          # el = element_at({row, col}, garden)
+          in_region = Enum.member?(region, {row, col})
+          edge = if in_region != acc2.in_region, do: 1, else: 0
+          %{in_region: in_region, edges: acc2.edges + edge}
+        end)
+      end)
+
+    top_to_bottom =
+      Enum.reduce(0..width, %{in_region: false, edges: 0}, fn col, acc ->
+        Enum.reduce(0..height, acc, fn row, acc2 ->
+          # el = element_at({row, col}, garden)
+          in_region = Enum.member?(region, {row, col})
+          edge = if in_region != acc2.in_region, do: 1, else: 0
+          %{in_region: in_region, edges: acc2.edges + edge}
+        end)
+      end)
+
+    left_to_right.edges + top_to_bottom.edges
+  end
+
+  defp findRegion(char, {row, col}, garden, region) do
+    # find the char at coord
+    el = element_at({row, col}, garden)
+
+    # if its out of bounds, it is a different char, or it's already in this region
+    if is_nil(el) or char != el or Enum.member?(region, {row, col}) do
+      nil
+    else
+      # its in the region! add it
+      new_region = [{row, col} | region]
+
+      # check the 4 neighbors
+      [{row - 1, col}, {row, col - 1}, {row + 1, col}, {row, col + 1}]
+      |> Enum.reject(fn el -> Enum.member?(new_region, el) end)
+      |> Enum.reduce(new_region, fn c, acc ->
+        res = findRegion(char, c, garden, acc)
+        if is_nil(res), do: acc, else: res
+      end)
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp element_at({x, y}, garden) do
+    if x < 0 or y < 0 do
+      nil
+    else
+      row = Enum.at(garden, x)
+      if is_nil(row), do: nil, else: Enum.at(row, y)
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+Day12.run()