Chelsea Greene Lewyta was born in America in the year of the rabbit, month of the ox, to a married couple of mixed European descent with a Korean daughter, Hallie. They grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York in a small historic town near the river. Chelsea remembers living inside her head most of her childhood. She enjoyed solving puzzles, drawing, making various contraptions, exploring the forests, observing animals and watching films about dinosaurs, talking animals, foreign lands and fairytales.