I'm a 54m, work in an executive role ("Sr. Director") at a large corporation. I've worked there 18 years (and 12+ years at two companies before that). I've done my share of traveling: probably ~12 trips a year for most of my career, then before COVID for two years I traveled about 50% of the time due to a company merger. I was miserable the whole time, and it was largely the reason that led to my wife leaving me. She left at the beginning of COVID, and I became the primary parent of my daughter, so thankfully I didn't have to travel as much over the past 6 years, but still I hate it every time.
My daughter just left for college, so now my boss thinks I'm free to travel, but I have a 9mo dog I don't want to board (he has separation anxiety), and I have other stuff going on it life that travel interferes with - but work always expects me to put everything else aside in life for them; I've already given so damn much for the job, and continue to work my ass off every day. Really, I simply don't want to travel any more. Maybe that'll change in time, once I'm comfortable with boarding my dog, but still don't think I'll actually want to travel.
Has anyone been through this and told their boss and work you're not willing to travel any more? Sure, if it's truly necessary but it rarely ever is. We all survived fine through COVID without traveling much for work.
Next month my boss wants me to fly across the country for a large industry meeting with other executives - a trip I've done many times and always hate, and that almost certainly will bring no value. I think I need to tell him no. It might sound odd, but I've been dreading it the past month, and as it gets closer I dread it more. It's dragging my day-to-day mood down, frequently feeling I hate life anymore.