diff --git a/day19/Cargo.toml b/day19/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4f4789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/day19/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+[package]
+name = "day19"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+
+[dependencies]
+regex = "1.11.1"
diff --git a/day19/src/main.rs b/day19/src/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0957e3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/day19/src/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::env;
+use std::fs;
+
+use regex::Regex;
+
+fn main() {
+    println!("Hello, AoC day 13!");
+
+    let args: Vec<String> = env::args().collect();
+    if args.len() != 2 {
+        println!("wrong number of arguments!");
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    }
+
+    let file_path = &args[1];
+
+    let binding = fs::read_to_string(file_path)
+        .expect("should be able to read the file");
+
+    let (towels, designs) = binding.split_once("\n\n").expect("should have two sections");
+
+    let all_towels: Vec<&str> = towels.split(", ").collect();
+
+    let re = Regex::new(
+            &format!("^({})+$", all_towels.join("|"))
+        ).expect("making the regex");
+    
+    let mut count = 0;
+    for line in designs.lines() {
+        if re.is_match(line) {
+            count += 1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    println!("found {count} valid designs");
+
+    let mut tree = build_tree(&all_towels);
+
+    //println!("{tree:?}");
+    println!("{} nodes in the tree", tree.len());
+
+    let mut count = 0;
+
+    for line in designs.lines() {
+        count += eat(&mut tree, line);
+    }
+
+    println!("found {count} solutions total");
+}
+
+fn eat(tree: &mut Vec<TreeCell>, haystack: &str) -> u128 {
+    let mut heads: HashMap<usize, u128> = HashMap::new();
+    heads.insert(0, 1);
+
+    //println!("examining {haystack}");
+
+    for c in haystack.chars() {
+        // iterating by character
+        let mut new_heads = HashMap::new();
+
+        //println!("looking at {c}; the heads we're tracking are {heads:?}");
+
+        // this first loop branches to the start from valid states
+        for (node_idx, num_heads) in heads.drain() {
+            let TreeCell { next: _, valid } = &tree[node_idx];
+            if *valid {
+                let next_idx = 0;
+                let existing_heads = new_heads.get(&next_idx).unwrap_or(&0);
+                new_heads.insert(next_idx, existing_heads + num_heads);
+            }
+            let existing_heads = new_heads.get(&node_idx).unwrap_or(&0);
+            new_heads.insert(node_idx, existing_heads + num_heads);
+        }
+
+        // this second loop advances all the heads
+        for (node_idx, num_heads) in new_heads.drain() {
+            let TreeCell { next, valid: _ } = &tree[node_idx];
+            if let Some(next_idx) = next.get(&c) {
+                heads.insert(*next_idx, num_heads);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    let mut count = 0;
+    
+    for (node_idx, number) in heads {
+        if tree[node_idx].valid { count += number; }
+    }
+    //println!("there are {count} heads in success states");
+
+    return count;
+}
+
+
+#[derive(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Debug)]
+struct TreeCell {next: HashMap<char, usize>, valid: bool}
+
+fn build_tree(patterns: &[&str]) -> Vec<TreeCell> {
+    let mut cells = vec![TreeCell {next: HashMap::new(), valid: false}];
+
+    for stripes in patterns {
+        add_to_tree(stripes, &mut cells, 0);
+    }
+
+    return cells;
+}
+
+fn add_to_tree(pattern: &str, tree: &mut Vec<TreeCell>, index: usize) {
+    match pattern.chars().next() {
+        None => tree[index].valid = true,
+        Some(c) => {
+            if tree[index].next.contains_key(&c) {
+                add_to_tree(&pattern[1..], tree, *tree[index].next.get(&c).unwrap());
+            } else {
+                let new_index = tree.len();
+                let new_treecell = TreeCell { next: HashMap::new(), valid: false };
+                tree.push(new_treecell); // now this is at new_index
+                tree[index].next.insert(c, new_index);
+                
+                add_to_tree(&pattern[1..], tree, new_index);
+
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
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