Freewill does not only apply to the concious mind...

[anagogy]

I thought coming back was required to advance spiritually, and to work off some karma.

Karma is simply imbalance naturally attracting or manifesting those experiences which will rebalance or undistort that which is distorted.

Every imbalance is almost like a question, and every balancing is like the answer to that question. It's the other side of the waveform.

Wanderers occasionally have some minor distortions which they come back to 3rd density to balance, but much of the time they do not have the type of karma which must be worked out at this vibrational level, but rather they just do it as a natural function of who or what they are (love).

And it's perfectly understandable to miss the security. Maybe part of your function, as a wanderer, is to find that security in this life, despite the veil of forgetfulness, and pave the way for others who desire this also.