diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index d538780..241b5f0 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         main,
         nvim,
         pathological,
+        shell,
         table,
         text_input,
     };
diff --git a/examples/nvim.zig b/examples/nvim.zig
index bf0d3d6..f2b4112 100644
--- a/examples/nvim.zig
+++ b/examples/nvim.zig
@@ -24,18 +24,18 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     const alloc = gpa.allocator();
 
     // Initialize Vaxis
-    var vx = try vaxis.init(Event, .{});
+    var vx = try vaxis.init(alloc, .{});
     defer vx.deinit(alloc);
 
-    // Start the read loop. This puts the terminal in raw mode and begins
-    // reading user input
-    try vx.startReadThread();
-    defer vx.stopReadThread();
+    var loop: vaxis.Loop(Event) = .{ .vaxis = &vx };
+
+    try loop.run();
+    defer loop.stop();
 
     // Optionally enter the alternate screen
     try vx.enterAltScreen();
 
-    var nvim = try vaxis.widgets.nvim.Nvim(Event).init(alloc, &vx);
+    var nvim = try vaxis.widgets.nvim.Nvim(Event).init(alloc, &loop);
     try nvim.spawn();
     defer nvim.deinit();
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     // queue which can serve as the primary event queue for an application
     while (true) {
         // nextEvent blocks until an event is in the queue
-        const event = vx.nextEvent();
+        const event = loop.nextEvent();
         std.log.debug("event: {}", .{event});
         // exhaustive switching ftw. Vaxis will send events if your Event
         // enum has the fields for those events (ie "key_press", "winsize")
diff --git a/examples/shell.zig b/examples/shell.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb0c5df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/shell.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+const vaxis = @import("vaxis");
+const Cell = vaxis.Cell;
+const TextInput = vaxis.widgets.TextInput;
+
+const log = std.log.scoped(.main);
+pub fn main() !void {
+    var gpa = std.heap.GeneralPurposeAllocator(.{}){};
+    defer {
+        const deinit_status = gpa.deinit();
+        if (deinit_status == .leak) {
+            log.err("memory leak", .{});
+        }
+    }
+    const alloc = gpa.allocator();
+
+    var vx = try vaxis.init(alloc, .{});
+    defer vx.deinit(alloc);
+
+    var loop: vaxis.Loop(Event) = .{ .vaxis = &vx };
+
+    try loop.run();
+    defer loop.stop();
+
+    try vx.queryTerminal();
+
+    var text_input = TextInput.init(alloc, &vx.unicode);
+    defer text_input.deinit();
+
+    var selected_option: ?usize = null;
+
+    const options = [_][]const u8{
+        "yes",
+        "no",
+    };
+
+    // The main event loop. Vaxis provides a thread safe, blocking, buffered
+    // queue which can serve as the primary event queue for an application
+    while (true) {
+        // nextEvent blocks until an event is in the queue
+        const event = loop.nextEvent();
+        // exhaustive switching ftw. Vaxis will send events if your Event
+        // enum has the fields for those events (ie "key_press", "winsize")
+        switch (event) {
+            .key_press => |key| {
+                if (key.codepoint == 'c' and key.mods.ctrl) {
+                    break;
+                } else if (key.matches(vaxis.Key.tab, .{})) {
+                    if (selected_option == null) {
+                        selected_option = 0;
+                    } else {
+                        selected_option.? = @min(options.len - 1, selected_option.? + 1);
+                    }
+                } else if (key.matches(vaxis.Key.tab, .{ .shift = true })) {
+                    if (selected_option == null) {
+                        selected_option = 0;
+                    } else {
+                        selected_option.? = selected_option.? -| 1;
+                    }
+                } else if (key.matches(vaxis.Key.enter, .{})) {
+                    if (selected_option) |i| {
+                        log.err("enter", .{});
+                        try text_input.insertSliceAtCursor(options[i]);
+                        selected_option = null;
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    if (selected_option == null)
+                        try text_input.update(.{ .key_press = key });
+                }
+            },
+            .winsize => |ws| {
+                try vx.resize(alloc, ws);
+            },
+            else => {},
+        }
+
+        const win = vx.window();
+        win.clear();
+
+        const right_win = win.child(.{
+            .x_off = win.width - 4,
+        });
+        const left_win = win.child(.{
+            .width = .{ .limit = 8 },
+        });
+        var right_prompt = [_]vaxis.Segment{
+            .{ .text = "👩‍🚀🏳️‍🌈" },
+        };
+        var left_prompt = [_]vaxis.Segment{
+            .{ .text = "👩‍🚀🏳️‍🌈~ ", .style = .{ .fg = .{ .index = 4 } } },
+            .{ .text = "", .style = .{ .fg = .{ .index = 5 } } },
+        };
+        _ = try right_win.print(&right_prompt, .{});
+        _ = try left_win.print(&left_prompt, .{});
+
+        const input_win = win.child(.{
+            .x_off = 8,
+            .width = .{ .limit = win.width - 12 },
+        });
+
+        text_input.draw(input_win);
+
+        if (selected_option) |i| {
+            win.hideCursor();
+            for (options, 0..) |opt, j| {
+                log.err("i = {d}, j = {d}, opt = {s}", .{ i, j, opt });
+                var seg = [_]vaxis.Segment{.{
+                    .text = opt,
+                    .style = if (j == i) .{ .reverse = true } else .{},
+                }};
+                _ = try win.print(&seg, .{ .row_offset = j + 1 });
+            }
+        }
+        try vx.render();
+    }
+}
+
+// Our Event. This can contain internal events as well as Vaxis events.
+// Internal events can be posted into the same queue as vaxis events to allow
+// for a single event loop with exhaustive switching. Booya
+const Event = union(enum) {
+    key_press: vaxis.Key,
+    winsize: vaxis.Winsize,
+    focus_in,
+    foo: u8,
+};
diff --git a/src/widgets/nvim.zig b/src/widgets/nvim.zig
index a0d90a4..c76456a 100644
--- a/src/widgets/nvim.zig
+++ b/src/widgets/nvim.zig
@@ -46,13 +46,13 @@ pub fn Nvim(comptime T: type) type {
 
         hl_map: HighlightMap,
 
-        vx: *vaxis.Vaxis(T),
+        loop: *vaxis.Loop(T),
         dirty: bool = false,
         mode_set: std.ArrayList(Mode),
 
         /// initialize nvim. Starts the nvim process. UI is not attached until the first
         /// call to draw
-        pub fn init(alloc: std.mem.Allocator, vx: *vaxis.Vaxis(T)) !Self {
+        pub fn init(alloc: std.mem.Allocator, loop: *vaxis.Loop(T)) !Self {
             const args = [_][]const u8{ "nvim", "--embed" };
             var nvim = std.ChildProcess.init(&args, alloc);
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ pub fn Nvim(comptime T: type) type {
                 .alloc = alloc,
                 .process = nvim,
                 .hl_map = HighlightMap.init(alloc),
-                .vx = vx,
+                .loop = loop,
                 .mode_set = std.ArrayList(Mode).init(alloc),
             };
         }
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ pub fn Nvim(comptime T: type) type {
                 self.alloc,
             );
 
-            self.thread = try std.Thread.spawn(.{}, Self.loop, .{self});
+            self.thread = try std.Thread.spawn(.{}, Self.nvimLoop, .{self});
         }
 
         pub fn deinit(self: *Self) void {
@@ -246,12 +246,12 @@ pub fn Nvim(comptime T: type) type {
             }
         }
 
-        fn loop(self: *Self) void {
+        fn nvimLoop(self: *Self) void {
             if (self.client) |*client| {
                 while (true) {
                     client.loop() catch |err| {
                         log.err("rpc loop error: {}", .{err});
-                        self.vx.postEvent(.{ .nvim = .{ .quit = self } });
+                        self.loop.postEvent(.{ .nvim = .{ .quit = self } });
                         return;
                     };
                 }
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ pub fn Nvim(comptime T: type) type {
                     self.visible_screen.cursor_shape = self.screen.cursor_shape;
                     if (!self.dirty) {
                         self.dirty = true;
-                        self.vx.postEvent(.{ .nvim = .{ .redraw = self } });
+                        self.loop.postEvent(.{ .nvim = .{ .redraw = self } });
                     }
                 },
                 .grid_clear => {