diff --git a/.env b/.env
deleted file mode 100644
index b454ca74..00000000
--- a/.env
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:password@host:port/db"
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fd3dbb57..5c96772c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -24,9 +24,15 @@
 npm-debug.log*
 yarn-debug.log*
 yarn-error.log*
+*.log
+dev.log
 
 # local env files
+.env
 .env*.local
+.env.development.local
+.env.test.local
+.env.production.local
 
 # vercel
 .vercel
@@ -34,3 +40,6 @@ yarn-error.log*
 # typescript
 *.tsbuildinfo
 next-env.d.ts
+
+# Jules's scratchpad
+jules-scratch/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/components/chat-panel.tsx b/components/chat-panel.tsx
index c5268ead..e2e31172 100644
--- a/components/chat-panel.tsx
+++ b/components/chat-panel.tsx
@@ -15,9 +15,17 @@ interface ChatPanelProps {
   messages: UIState
   input: string
   setInput: (value: string) => void
+  onFocus?: () => void
+  onBlur?: () => void
 }
 
-export function ChatPanel({ messages, input, setInput }: ChatPanelProps) {
+export function ChatPanel({
+  messages,
+  input,
+  setInput,
+  onFocus,
+  onBlur
+}: ChatPanelProps) {
   const [, setMessages] = useUIState<typeof AI>()
   const { submit, clearChat } = useActions()
   // Removed mcp instance as it's no longer passed to submit
@@ -118,6 +126,8 @@ export function ChatPanel({ messages, input, setInput }: ChatPanelProps) {
                 ? 'mobile-chat-input input bg-background' // Use mobile input styles
                 : 'bg-muted pr-20'
             )}
+            onFocus={onFocus}
+            onBlur={onBlur}
             onChange={e => {
               setInput(e.target.value)
             }}
diff --git a/components/chat.tsx b/components/chat.tsx
index 59c4d914..713bef71 100644
--- a/components/chat.tsx
+++ b/components/chat.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ import { ChatPanel } from './chat-panel'
 import { ChatMessages } from './chat-messages'
 import { EmptyScreen } from './empty-screen'
 import { Mapbox } from './map/mapbox-map'
-import { useUIState, useAIState } from 'ai/rsc'
+import { useUIState, useAIState, useActions } from 'ai/rsc'
+import { UserMessage } from './user-message'
+import { nanoid } from 'nanoid'
+import { UIState } from '@/app/actions'
 import MobileIconsBar from './mobile-icons-bar'
 import { useProfileToggle, ProfileToggleEnum } from "@/components/profile-toggle-context";
 import SettingsView from "@/components/settings/settings-view";
@@ -20,16 +23,27 @@ type ChatProps = {
 export function Chat({ id }: ChatProps) {
   const router = useRouter()
   const path = usePathname()
-  const [messages] = useUIState()
+  const [messages, setMessages] = useUIState()
   const [aiState] = useAIState()
+  const { submit } = useActions()
   const [isMobile, setIsMobile] = useState(false)
   const { activeView } = useProfileToggle();
   const [input, setInput] = useState('')
-  const [showEmptyScreen, setShowEmptyScreen] = useState(false)
-  
-  useEffect(() => {
-    setShowEmptyScreen(messages.length === 0)
-  }, [messages])
+  const [isInputFocused, setIsInputFocused] = useState(false)
+
+  const submitExampleMessage = async (message: string) => {
+    setMessages((currentMessages: UIState) => [
+      ...currentMessages,
+      {
+        id: nanoid(),
+        component: <UserMessage message={message} />
+      }
+    ])
+
+    const responseMessage = await submit(message)
+
+    setMessages((currentMessages: UIState) => [...currentMessages, responseMessage as any])
+  }
 
   useEffect(() => {
     // Check if device is mobile
@@ -83,18 +97,20 @@ export function Chat({ id }: ChatProps) {
             <MobileIconsBar />
           </div>
           <div className="mobile-chat-input-area">
-            <ChatPanel messages={messages} input={input} setInput={setInput} />
+            <ChatPanel
+              messages={messages}
+              input={input}
+              setInput={setInput}
+              onFocus={() => setIsInputFocused(true)}
+              onBlur={() => setIsInputFocused(false)}
+            />
           </div>
           <div className="mobile-chat-messages-area">
-            {showEmptyScreen ? (
-              <EmptyScreen
-                submitMessage={message => {
-                  setInput(message)
-                }}
-              />
-            ) : (
+            {messages.length > 0 ? (
               <ChatMessages messages={messages} />
-            )}
+            ) : isInputFocused ? (
+              <EmptyScreen submitMessage={submitExampleMessage} />
+            ) : null}
           </div>
         </div>
       </MapDataProvider>
@@ -107,16 +123,18 @@ export function Chat({ id }: ChatProps) {
       <div className="flex justify-start items-start">
         {/* This is the new div for scrolling */}
         <div className="w-1/2 flex flex-col space-y-3 md:space-y-4 px-8 sm:px-12 pt-12 md:pt-14 pb-4 h-[calc(100vh-0.5in)] overflow-y-auto">
-          <ChatPanel messages={messages} input={input} setInput={setInput} />
-          {showEmptyScreen ? (
-            <EmptyScreen
-              submitMessage={message => {
-                setInput(message)
-              }}
-            />
-          ) : (
+          <ChatPanel
+            messages={messages}
+            input={input}
+            setInput={setInput}
+            onFocus={() => setIsInputFocused(true)}
+            onBlur={() => setIsInputFocused(false)}
+          />
+          {messages.length > 0 ? (
             <ChatMessages messages={messages} />
-          )}
+          ) : isInputFocused ? (
+            <EmptyScreen submitMessage={submitExampleMessage} />
+          ) : null}
         </div>
         <div
           className="w-1/2 p-4 fixed h-[calc(100vh-0.5in)] top-0 right-0 mt-[0.5in]"
diff --git a/dev.log b/dev.log
index e69de29b..92ca2ee6 100644
--- a/dev.log
+++ b/dev.log
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+   ▲ Next.js 15.3.3 (Turbopack)
+   - Local:        http://localhost:3001
+   - Network:      http://192.168.0.2:3001
+   - Environments: .env
+
+ ✓ Starting...