diff --git a/src/Location.java b/src/Location.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e81a67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Location.java
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+public record Location(int row, int col) {
+  
+}
diff --git a/src/Search.java b/src/Search.java
index cebb278..bbe42c9 100644
--- a/src/Search.java
+++ b/src/Search.java
@@ -1,4 +1,25 @@
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Queue;
+import java.util.Set;
+
 public class Search {
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) {
+        char[][] grid = {
+        {'o', 'o', 'o', 'o', 'c', 'w', 'c', 'o'},
+        {'w', 'o', 'o', 'w', 'w', 'c', 'w', 'o'},
+        {'o', 'o', 'o', 'o', 'R', 'w', 'o', 'o'},
+        {'o', 'o', 'w', 'w', 'w', 'o', 'o', 'o'},
+        {'o', 'o', 'o', 'o', 'c', 'o', 'o', 'o'}
+        };
+        
+        System.out.println(nearestCheese(grid));
+    }
      /**
      * Finds the location of the nearest reachable cheese from the rat's position.
      * Returns a 2-element int array: [row, col] of the closest 'c'. If there are multiple
@@ -28,7 +49,89 @@ public class Search {
      * @throws CrowdedMazeException if there is more than one rat in the maze
      * @throws HungryRatException if there is no reachable cheese
      */
-    public static int[] nearestCheese(char[][] maze) throws EscapedRatException, CrowdedMazeException, HungryRatException {
-        return null;
+    public static Location nearestCheese(char[][] maze) throws EscapedRatException, CrowdedMazeException, HungryRatException {
+        Location start = ratLocation(maze); 
+        Queue<Location> queue = new LinkedList<>();
+        queue.add(start);
+
+        Set<Location> visited = new HashSet<>();
+        Map<Location, Location> prevs = new HashMap<>();
+
+        while (!queue.isEmpty()) {
+            Location current = queue.poll();
+
+            if (maze[current.row()][current.col()] == 'c') {
+                List<Location> path = new ArrayList<>();
+                Location pointer = current;
+
+                while (!pointer.equals(start)) {
+                    path.add(pointer);
+                    pointer = prevs.get(pointer);
+                }
+
+                path.add(start);
+
+                System.out.println(path.reversed());
+
+                return current;
+            }
+            
+            
+            for (Location neighbor : neighbors(maze, current)) {
+                if (!visited.contains(neighbor)) {
+                    queue.add(neighbor);
+                    visited.add(neighbor);
+                    prevs.put(neighbor, current);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+
+        throw new HungryRatException();
+    }
+
+    public static List<Location> neighbors(char[][] maze, Location current) {
+        List<Location> result = new ArrayList<>();
+
+        int[][] moves = new int[][] {
+            {-1 , 0}, // UP
+            {1 , 0},  // DOWN
+            {0 , -1}, // LEFT
+            {0 , 1}   // RIGHT
+        };
+
+        for (int[] move : moves) {
+            int newR = current.row() + move[0];
+            int newC = current.col() + move[1];
+
+            if (newR >= 0 && newR < maze.length  // checking newR
+                && newC >= 0 && newC < maze[0].length // checking newC
+                && maze[newR] [newC] != 'w') {
+                result.add(new Location(newR, newC));
+            }  
+        }
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    private static Location ratLocation(char[][] maze) throws EscapedRatException, CrowdedMazeException{
+        Location location = null;
+        for (int row = 0; row < maze.length; row++) {
+            for (int col = 0; col < maze[row].length; col++) {
+                if (maze[row][col] == 'R') {
+                    if (location == null) {
+                        location = new Location(row, col);
+                    } else {
+                    throw new CrowdedMazeException();
+                } 
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if (location == null) {
+            throw new EscapedRatException();
+        }
+        
+        return location;
+        
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}