That's actually a question that bugs me too when I'm out in my kayak just thinking randomly lol. The thing is, those brain studies don't really say we don't have free will, but more like a lot of stuff happens "under the radar" of our awareness - that doesn't mean our conscious choices are illusions, just that the process is more complicated than we thought. Like, the fact that your brain processes info before you're aware of it doesn't invalidate the fact that you then consciously decide to paddle left or right. I think real freedom is more a matter of degree than all-or-nothing, you know?