Sydney: Chicago Couple's Final Frontier
An Edgewater couple boldly goes where no fan has gone before
Paramount Pictures
A Chicago couple traveled over 9,000 miles to reach another realm.
"Star Trek" fans—better known as "Trekkies"—are a one-of-a-kind bunch. From toys to wedding cakes to costumes, Trekkies know no limits when it comes to showing their love for the beloved sci-fi travelers.
So perhaps it's no surprise that a couple of Chicago Star Trek fans were willing to travel a few miles to watch a Star Trek movie.
And by "a few," we mean 9,250 miles.
Joel and Abigail Gratcyk, both in their late 20s, decided not to wait the two weeks for the official release of "Star Trek XI". Instead, they traveled to Sydney, Australia, to attend the world premiere.
"On March 29, I was reading my normal online blog list and found out 300 tickets were going on sale for the 'Star Trek' World Premiere in Sydney, so I called Abigail," said Joel. "She was on a trip for work, and I didn't want to make big plans without talking to her first."
Abigail was agreeable to the idea, possibly only because she knew the chances were slim.
"If you get tickets, we'll go," she had told Joel. "I honestly didn't think he would get them."
But sure enough, Joel got his hands on two tickets, and the couple proceeded to fly (standby) to Australia, a trip that took two days.
The whole experience was a bit complicated and stressful, but the Gratcyks felt it was all worth it as they took in Sydney's sights and then walked down the red carpet.
"That was probably my favorite part of the trip," said Abigail.
So what did they think of the movie they traveled so far to see?
Unsurprisingly, Joel, a Star Trek fan for several years, loved the film.
However, Abigail was never a fan of the movie franchise and had only watched a handful of episodes. Yet she thoroughly enjoyed the sci-fi feature as well.
"This movie was not your normal Star Trek. J.J. Abrams is brilliant, and the movie was nonstop action. It kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I actually really enjoyed it," Abigail said.
"Just don't start calling me a Trekkie yet."
Matt Bartosik, editor of Off the Rocks' next issue, never understood the 'Trek' phenomenon.
Copyright NBC Owned Television Stations / NBC Chicago
Posted Thursday, Jul 16, 2009 - 5:24 PM CST
