Book excerpt: Weeks before her twenty-eighth birthday, Snow White Bui quit her job and left everything she had built in Los Angeles, California to recalibrate the direction of her life. She realized she had strayed from the person she'd once been-a young woman in pursuit of knowledge and wisdom-in favor of career success and being cool. Spurred by news of the shooting of black parishioners at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, she decided to embark on an improvised, solitary journey to learn more about the history and people of the US. With her passion project, LESSONS FOR LIFE PROJECT, as a driving intention, Snow White engaged with Americans across twenty-five states, asking them to share their biggest life lessons. Not only did she learn from Americans' diverse lived experiences, she also discovered the richness of life that comes from embracing the humanity in ourselves and in each other. THE FREEDOM TO WONDER is an inspiring story about an Asian American woman's journey to connect with the heart of America.