Reid was born on 5 May 1976 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She moved with her family to Ashton, Ontario, as a child. After moving, she attended Bell High School in Nepean, Ontario. As a student at Trinity College, University of Toronto, Reid became a choral scholar and served as Head of College. After she moved to Iceland she sang for the Hallgrímskirkja Motet Choir. After she graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor's degree in international relations, she went to St Antony's College, Oxford University, to complete an MA degree in modern history.
