AMES, Iowa —

The Iowa State University marching band and football team are gearing up for an unforgettable journey to Ireland .

While the football team is set to depart on a chartered Aer Lingus flight Thursday evening, the band has already hit the road, traveling commercially out of Minneapolis.

For many band members, this trip marks a series of firsts.

"I've never traveled overseas before," said Joseph Weimer, a sophomore band member, expressing his excitement about the adventure.

Even the band's director, Christian Carichner, is experiencing something new.

"This has never happened at this game—visiting bands have never combined to do a show together," he said, referring to a unique collaboration with the Kansas State band to perform a joint show .

The logistics of transportin

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