Um, then he finds something else? The point of the article is not “Hey, I spent loads of money on a neat notebook”. It’s “I went on this amazing journey to a fantastic place and really enjoyed the experience of selecting and putting together this object which I really enjoy”.
If you think Mr Koch was saying that the OP would have been better popping on Amazon to buy an item that he wouldn’t enjoy as much but took less time and effort to get, I think you’ve misunderstood.
The advice is to concentrate on what makes you happy and he suggests that most people obsess too much about things (including consumer items, yes) that don’t make them happy.
The advice therefore is to really consider whether what you are doing or buying is increasing your happiness or if it’s just stuff.
In this case, the OP clearly thinks that this small side trip and purchase significantly improves their happiness. Buying a moleskine from their local shop would not have given them that pleasure.
That would be expressly the sort of thing Mr Koch suggests is bad.
TL:DR - I think you’re fixating on the object too much at the expense of the journey to acquire it.
